


Family First

by Miss_Lv



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: AU, Father-Son Relationship, Incest, Kidnapping, Knotting, M/M, Mpreg, Pack Dynamics, Parent/Child Incest, Violence, Werewolves, alpha/beta/omega, attempted non-con, heat - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-08
Updated: 2012-09-08
Packaged: 2017-11-13 19:07:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 3
Words: 42,624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/506731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miss_Lv/pseuds/Miss_Lv
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jensen is Jared’s only child and has been the center of Jared’s life. Now as he comes of age for a werewolf and prepares to move on and find a mate Jared’s not sure he can let his precious son go. Jensen’s fine with that though, because he has no intention of leaving.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I tried to make it more dramatic then my usual and I’m fairly sure it came out horridly but whatever, you live and learn. Also not a lot of porn in this, if your looking for straight up porn this is not the one, as if I could write 40k of porn. 
> 
> Huge thank you to my lovely beta sassangel she not only did an awesome job she did it last minute. <3 A million hugs to you dear! Also the lovely bumerbmw who made me a sweet banner and put up with my vague descriptions she had to base art off of.

Jensen was always beautiful.

He got his looks from his mother. That fair skin with those faint freckles, the shape of his face, the slender cut of his middle; the whole delicate build were all reminiscent of her. Jared was tall as a mountain and stocky, build like a linebacker and making his petite son look even small beside him. What more, Jensen’s features were more feminine then masculine. Long thick eyelashes that framed wide hazel eyes, a cute button nose, high cheekbones, and of course that full lush mouth. It wasn’t like he was mistaken for a girl; anyone who took a look could see a boy in front of them, just a very pretty one. Not handsome, but pretty a slight difference but a key one. Jensen was androgynous in order to attract mates of either gender, most omegas were as they had the rare trait to breed either way, to be a sire or dam. Jared knew that his pup looked far more like his mother then Jared himself, but it never bothered him. Some of the pack whispered about it but Jared never looked at Jensen and saw anything but his son. While they shared physical traits, Jensen’s personality was nothing like his mother. His smiles came a lot less then hers did but when Jensen gave them, they were genuine in a way his mother never could have been. Jensen was soft spoken where his mother had been loud and brash like Jared himself. He and his pup shared the same quirky sense of humor though, they both carried responsibility seriously and Jared had been told time again that Jensen endless kindness reminded people of Jared himself. So while he might look like her, Jensen was nothing like his mother in spirit and soul.

 

Jared and Alexis had mated out of need not love.

The union had helped stabilize the alliance between their neighbouring packs, which had always been at odd with one another. Endless territory fighting that Jared had hoped to end with his mating to a member of their pack. Omegas were rare, considered a blessing so the opportunity to mate one and bring her into his pack wasn’t something he could consider denying. It was a huge sacrifice for her pack to offer, a real sign of intention to end the strife between them. But Jared also knew they were suffering with more human cities expanding and cutting into their lands and that if they made a strong enough alliance generations down when their lands were too small Jared's pack would accept a merge. Why else would they have given up something as sacred as an omega mate? Either way in the beginning Jared was certain all the other pack wanted was the alliance they had started with.

Jared was the newly appointed pack alpha and Alexis was a rare omega offered for a strong union, it had been a mating with good intentions. But everything had spun out of control when Alexis unexpectedly became pregnant right away, mere months in. As a couple they hadn’t had enough time to properly bond and so her loyalties weren’t to Jared or his pack yet. Alexis was easily swayed by her old pack and Jared learned the hard way how two-faced she could be, smiling sweetly and playing innocently to his face while her hands pulled strings behind his back. Too young and caught up in his impending fatherhood Jared had been naive in his trust and he nearly paid the ultimate price for it.  

While Alexis was tucked away in her den giving birth, her pack betrayed him and those most loyal to him.

If Jared died his mate would take leadership until a new alpha took his place normally. But as the pack’s omega-alpha Alexis held more power then usual, rather then being his second, her rare blood as an omega made her his equal. If Jared was gone Alexis would hold all the power and keep it or give it to whoever she wanted. So the night Jared’s children were born, his pack took a vicious attack that they weren’t ready for and nearly fell. What should have been a night of celebration was one of blood.    

 

“We’ve barely made it out, Nicolas and his sons fell and most of the Samson family is fucking dead,” Chad hissed out, his left arm mangled and held close to his body while Jared sniffed the air, in his wolf form. He was big even for an alpha, a huge grey wolf with the traditional markings of one save for a touch of brown in his coat. Night was settling and the pack was safe for now but nothing was certain.

“They didn’t expect us to fight back, they figured we’d give you up like it was nothing, traitors, fucking backstabbing traitors.”

For once Jared didn’t feel the need to reprimand his childhood friend’s mouth. Alexis’ pack had made the fatal mistake of trying to get Chad on their side. His seemingly shallow personality had made them think they could bribe him into betrayal. Chad had been the critical warning that had kept Jared alive and his pack from ruin. Still his fighters had taken a hard blow; half of the strong young wolves of his pack were dead. Another wave of fighting could topple the pack.

“Alexis lied about where her den was, we don’t know where her or the pups are,” Misha announced solemnly as he approached them, eyeing the miles of woods between the two pack’s territories. The boarders were patrolled now and Alexis was still in their land, they knew that much. The fighting was finished for now, Jared had killed the opposing alpha and his wolves had retreated. The wolves not guarding the territory line were out searching for Alexis and the pups desperately. Omegas were sought after because beyond being able to be father or mother, they could conceive in the form of a wolf, while a beta or alpha could only as a human. Rather then a single child an omega would carry a litter. Children turned for the first time around four or five years of age. An omega’s young were born as pups and could turn human around the same age. The key difference was that those years spent as a wolf somehow equated to being stronger werewolves all round. They were always bigger then human born, stronger with better senses, their healing abilities were utterly amazing.

Omega’s carrying litters was a blessing but it also meant the labor as a wolf and instinct ruled the wolf. Alexis had dug out a den somewhere in the forests that made of Jared’s land, a secret place were she could have the pups. But no one knew, not even Jared, where the damn place was. She’d given a general area incase of an emergency but it had been a lie. Alexis was now a traitor and she was holed up somewhere with Jared’s children. Omegas were hereditary and Jared was certain she’d try to sneak them into her own pack’s territory. The pups had the potential of being omegas and thus Alexis and her pack could gain alliances by promising them as future mates to neighboring packs. If they mustered enough strength to attack again, Jared’s pack would fall.

But before the need to be an alpha to his pack, Jared desperately just wanted to see his pups safe. Fatherhood had come unexpected but Jared had welcomed it whole hearted and already loved his children deeply. Jared’s hind leg was in agonizing pain, he’d fucked it up royally in the fight with the other alpha, but he ignored the pain and joined the searching for his pups. Jared alone knew of specific places to check, ones where he’d seen his once mate slink off to on occasion.

It was morning before Jared found the den and any relief he’d begun to feel was washed away with the scent of blood. It was far too much to be from labor and birth alone, the closer he got to the den the more he scented death. With the howling of victory echoing all night his once-mate had to know her kin had failed to take over Jared’s pack.  

With a terrified cry at what she’d done, Jared threw himself at the tiny entrance, tearing the dirt wider to fit his bulk.

Alexis was still in there snarling at him among the scent of their dead children.

By the time Jared got the den entrance open wide enough to fit himself in he could see the mangled bodies, tiny little balls of fur that were matted with blood. The sight hurt him more then any physical wound could. Those were his children; those were the little lives he excitedly watched grow in Alexis for months, he’d felt them moving in her belly. Young were precious among all werewolves, no matter how vicious territory wars got, no wolf committed such a sacrilege to harm pups.      

Alexis snarled at him, lunging at him maybe in the hope that he was distracted enough for her to get the upper paw. Jared didn’t feel the slightest remorse when he used his weigh to slam her to the ground and immediately tore her throat out in a quick bite. Later he’d feel bad about his lack of emotion for the female who’d been his mate for months, but in that moment all he saw was the demented wolf that killed his pups. She’d murdered her own children to hurt him.  

The pups were torn up, their tiny bodies too weak and vulnerable to fight off their mother and now they lay in pieces, painful deaths. Jared whined brokenly as he nuzzled their crumpled forms, five little lives he’d never know, his beautiful puppies put to death out of spite. Touching each one he committed their scents to memory, gathered their cold remains close so he could take them home. The runt of the litter was curled into a tight ball; his sides gashed open but not ripped up like the others. The pup was so tiny Alexis must have known a single bite would snuff out the life. Agonized sounds tore from Jared’s throat as he pressed his muzzle to the tiny body and inhaled the weak scent. Nosing the matted fur, he jolted in shock when the little body shivered, a tiny - barely there - whimper sounding pitifully.

Jared shifted forms immediately -human hands were better for delicate things - and gently gathered the tiny body in his shaking hands, he could fit the pup a single palm the runt was so little. Jared used all the care he had to cradle his wounded puppy to his chest.

“Oh God baby, hold on, just hold on for me and I’m gonna get you help, Daddy’s here now, please hold on,” Jared babbled desperately his face wet with tears as he crawled from the den and stumbled towards help, barely aware of his bad leg now, calling out until one of his pack found him and rushed for help.

When the healer arrived and shifted to his human form Jared struggled to let him touch the pup. The tiny babe clutched to his chest protectively as he fought down the urge to snarl at anyone trying to take his child.

“Alpha, please I need to help,” the old man urged and Jared shuddered, the wolf in him wanting to attack anyone trying to get at his injured pup. But his human mind prevailed as he shook off the feral thinking and forced himself to hand the tiny life over. No one asked questions or tried to make him leave, other pack members would track back to the den and spare Jared of having to say it out loud. He just knelt there by the healer while his mother wrapped her arms around him and they watched the wolf work, struggling to save the baby out in the middle of the forest with the barest of tools.   

“We need to get him back to the clinic,” someone said at one point and Jared realized his pup was a boy, his son.

 

After that horrifying night it was an all out pack war. There was no chance of alliance or peace between them now, one pack would extinguish and they’d fight each until then. Jared was young for an alpha but his children had been murdered and it gave him the ability to be brutal in a way the few wolves were. He didn’t care either, the world watched their fighting and he was painted as a vicious werewolf but he never paid it any attention, all his focus was divided between his son and keeping his pack safe. The fighting took far too much of his time. It was a blur of dark memories for him mostly; in those days he gained a reputation as a cunning, unrelenting pack alpha, but all he could ever remember was spending everyday worried for his tiny pup.

The healer and the specialist Jared had brought in both told him to be prepared for the pup not to survive. Alexis had nearly tore him in half, his organs were damaged and even an omega werewolf’s healing could only do so much in a new born, more so a runt. But each day Jensen lived was a miracle for Jared, he could still fit Jensen’s furry little body in the palm of his hand but he was still alive. Pink ugly scars marred his side but day after day Jensen would wake up in the morning and whimper for his daddy and all Jared wanted was to be there.

Jensen stayed in a incubator on good days, on bad ones he was hooked up to machines to breath for him, his tiny little body curled up constantly in heated blankets as he labored to take each breath. That was what Jared thought of when his wolves clashed with Alexis’ remaining pack. While he snuffed out lives and drove them away, he prayed only that the one that matter to him would struggle though another day.

Little over a month passed before Jared finally let himself believe his son would survive. The fighting was done; Jared’s pack was victorious with even more land to them and a new reputation that would protect them from future attacks. Jared had only cared that he could spend all his time and attention with Jensen now.

Pups opened their eyes a week or so after birth but Jensen never had, his eyelids always closed. With all the damage to his body the doctors feared Jensen would never open his eyes, never heal passed where he was.

But on a quiet evening it happened.

Jared was dead tired and the gash on his side was aching something awful but he wasn’t willing to move. Jensen was curled up on his chest, tucked in with a heated baby blanket and bottle. The pup was half asleep, suckling lazily and if Jared shifted his pup might be disturbed so there he sat with a numb leg and content smile, a bottle of warm milk wedged between his neck and shoulder so he could hold the bottle and still have both arms to hold Jensen close and pet his fur gently. Jensen made a little snuffle and Jared’s breath paused. He listened worriedly for any sign Jensen was struggling to breath but then the pup gave a sudden burp that had Jared grinning from ear to ear.

“You eat up, gotta put some weight on,” Jared told his son softly cradling Jensen with one arm and using the other to gently stroke the spot on his head between the pup’s ears. At the sound of Jared’s voice Jensen’s little tail wiggled and it made his father grin again. Jared’s family all helped look after Jensen when Jared couldn’t but it was clear that the tiny puppy favored his father, always whining and unappeased until Jared was the one holding him.

Jared tried to ease the nipple back into the pup’s mouth but Jensen only gave a few suckles before pulling away feebly, no longer interested in drinking now. The doctors wanted Jensen eating more but Jared wasn’t about to force feed his pup so he put the bottle aside and gave Jensen the tip of his pinky to suck on, Jensen liked doing it as he fell asleep and Jared went with it easily. If he used the nipple from the bottle it just got milk everywhere and Jensen always gagged a little when he dosed off and stopped swallowing even though the milk was still coming. His mama pointed out it was a bad habit to teach a pup, but everyday he left for pack matters he knew there was a huge chance he’d come back to find out Jensen had passed away, so if his only surviving child wanted to gum Jared’s finger then he was going to have at it. Jensen’s little body shifted in the blanket and he snuggled into Jared’s shirt more before settling.

Jared smiled down at him a rocked ever so slightly in the chair, knowing Jensen liked the movement to put him to sleep but not while eating, so many tiny things that Jared had memorized and never wanted to forget. The pup sucked a bit at Jared’s pinky and then let out a yawn, his little muzzle opening wide as a tiny sound escaped. When he closed it he nosed for Jared’s pinky again and his father’s heartbeat stuttered when Jensen opened his eyes a tiny crack to peer up at him. They were unfocused and barely opened but Jared looked down at his son and for the first time Jensen looked back at him. He felt the pup’s tail give a wiggle and Jensen made a happy whine, blinking up at Jared before he nosed for Jared’s pinky again.      

“…hey baby,” Jared managed to whisper and his voice only cracked a little, while he wore a huge grin and blinked his wet eyes. “Hi Jensen,” he murmured and the pup gave him a sleepy peek before his eyelids were too heavy to stay opened. Jared’s heart was going too fast but he couldn’t slow it, he just smiled stupidly and pet his pup carefully, marveling that Jensen’s eyes where the same shade as his own. Snuggled close, Jared finally let himself truly hope for the first time that he’d see his child grow up.     

 

“What are you thinking about?” Jensen asked, waving the spatula in front of Jared and jarring him from his distant memories and back into the bright sunny kitchen.

“I was thinking about you, the first time you looked at me,” he replied honestly and his teenage son rolled his eyes in good nature, holding out a frying pan with pancakes and eggs in it. Jared fumbled to lift his plate hurriedly so Jensen could scoop them for him. It smelt like heaven.

“Do you want me to leave the extra in the pan like we both don’t know your gonna eat them or should we do away with the lies?” Jensen teased gently and Jared grinned, watching his pup smile easily and heap Jared’s plate high. Jensen had his school clothing on under a big frilly apron that they both dutifully wore when they cooked; it had been a well-meaning if hideous gift from Jared’s grandma. The old wolf would know by scent if they never used it and neither of them were any good at disappointing.

“Are you going in to the office today?” Jensen inquired and Jared shrugged, swallowing before he answered when his son shot him a look. Jared’s wondered how atrocious his table manners had been before he had his son to correct them. Jared could still remember Jensen at eight years old and telling his daddy he wasn’t supposed to talk with his mouth full in a concerned tone.    

“There are a few things to check on but mostly they can handle their stuff, Jeff is visiting today so I’ll probably be with him for the day, are you gonna have lunch in the park?”

“If the weather is ok, if not I’ll be at the school,” his pup replied, settling down across from Jared and starting in on his own breakfast. Their feet tangled under the small table but the contact was normal for werewolves, plus Jared always liked to keep his only child close.

“Are you looking after the furballs today again?” Jared inquired and Jensen smirked and nodded affirmative. The pack was a normal size, they functioned as a small town and all the children of every age were schooled in the same place. Although it was supposed to be rotated among the older pups, Jensen was the one who usually ended up looking after all the youngest ones for lunch, giving their teachers a much needed break. There were only a handful of pups that needed to be watched at all times but they could be hell when they wanted. Plenty of wolves commented that Jensen was already a nurturer; he’d be a good parent one day.

“I’ll swing by for lunch then, bring Jeff and show him our fine education system.”

 

“That is a special kind of hell,” Jeffry Dean Morgan commented and Jared grinned. The kids were out in the park all running around wildly, some on two legs and others on four. There were twenty-four underage wolves in Jared’s pack, a decent number but the majority of them teenagers and only a handful of young kids. It was something the pack had been getting nervous about the last few years, they wanted more young born, specifically, Jared’s young. It was an old wise tale that if the alpha wasn’t building a family his pack members would struggle to and Jared’s wolves were a superstitious bunch.

Among the youngest wolves Jensen was there, carefully playing with the pups around five or so of age. They’d just started shifting and wobbled on all fours legs as they tried to get the hang of it under Jensen’s coaching. Jared smiled and felt his heartstrings pulled with how adorable his son looked, Jensen truly would be a fine parent with his own pups one day.   

Jensen must have felt his gaze because he looked up at them, smiling as he waved and then turned to call another teenager over to take over watching the kids. Despite being soft-spoken Jensen commanded a fair share of respect from his peers, he was the alpha’s son after all and a rare omega. But more then that, Jensen had one hell of a backbone and had never let anyone push him around. Jared watched a few teenagers answer his call and go over to him.  

“That your pup?” Jeff asked lightly and Jared nodded, trying not to preen under how awesome his son was. Jensen was still small for his age but he was healthy and good-natured, a beautiful wolf in body and soul. Plus he had pretty much all of the pack whipped.  

“He’s growing up fast, gonna have brats on your doorstep looking to date him soon,” the older alpha teased and Jared gave him a dark look. It was plain to see Jensen was an omega male, his slight build and sweet scent marked him as such and he’d expressed more interest in males then female which was fine, but Jared hated to be reminded that his son would end up with some punk one day.

“I can’t wait for your pups to be old enough for that, I’ll personally send over the bad boys of my pack to try and court them,” he grumbled and Jeff laughed.

“I’ve got years of time, you, you got a few months, how old is Jensen now?”

“Just turned nineteen this year.”

“Already? I’m surprised he’s not dating actually, he’s small for that age,” any other alpha would have gotten a snarl for the slight but Jeff was an old friend, their packs had always lived side by side peacefully for generations now. During the pack’s war Jeff had supported and helped Jared take victory and rebuild in the aftermath.   

“I might have banned anyone from even trying,” Jared replied idly and Jeff smirked, the two watching as Jensen carefully ducked snow flying as the kids descended into the madness of a snowball fight.

“Ban away, but once Jensen himself goes sniffing, not a single wolf won’t be happy to get his attention,” the older wolf commented, his tone kind as he reminded Jared that one day Jensen would leave him. The teenager was stunning and already had a lot of admiration among the pack, plenty of wolves had crushes on him, it truly was only a matter of time before some male caught Jensen’s eye.

“…maybe I’ll try and woo one of your kids myself,” Jared grumbled and the other alpha gave a huff and low chuckle, dropping a comforting hand on Jared’s shoulder.  

Jensen parted from the fray and made his way over to them, breathless from the play and red cheeked from the cold, he looked adorable. When he reached his father Jared gave him a quick hug and dropped a light kiss on his son’s brow.

“Hello trouble, having run raising a ruckus?” He greeted his pup and Jensen just smirked at him and turned his attention on acknowledging Jeff.

“You get bigger every time I visit,” the older wolf teased and Jensen smiled easily under it but pressed to Jared’s side, always a hint of his shyness showing through.

“I think you might be getting smaller actually, that happens in old age right?”

Jeff let out a booming laugh and Jared grinned, both of the alphas catching sight of the projectile as it sailed toward them. The snowball hit Jared square in the chest and the group of playing kids fell deathly silent as their pack alpha wiped the snow off himself, knowing none of them would intentionally throw it at the alphas.   

“You gonna take that?” Jensen teased and Jared gave a grin and wink at his son before he took off into the field, the kids scattering and screaming wildly as Jared fell into the maturity of a six year old, chasing pups and stuffing snow down teenager’s shirts. Being alpha didn’t mean sheer dominance; it also meant taking time to play. Or at least that was Jared’s excuse.  

Jensen stuck by Jeff, knowing that the other kids wouldn’t throw snow near the visiting alpha. But the plan failed when Jeff lobbed a few of his own, hitting Jared both times.

With the pack alpha and the visiting alpha in the mess the teachers couldn’t really give the students much punishment for having a snowball fight. The kids shook off the snow and some turned so their fur would keep them warm while their clothing dried as they all marched back into the school.

“You wanna swing by the office? I got a change of your clothing there,” Jared asked his son as he took in Jensen’s soaked jeans. With any other wolf they would just let it dry but Jensen took to getting sick a lot more then the average wolf. Normally omegas were the picture of health but Jensen had always been quick to take ill, more so then a normal werewolf even. The doctors figured his immune system had been damaged in his first few months of life.

“Yeah, the class won’t miss me this afternoon anyway,” Jensen agreed and with a quick word to the teacher he was excused.

“Still getting sick huh?” Jeff asked and Jensen gave a little shrug as they walked the short blocks to the office.

“Sometimes, I usually get a little cold but nothing too bad.”

“I remember when you got it really rough one winter, ended up in the hospital and your dad fell apart without you to keep him in line,” the alpha reminisced lightly and Jensen gave a strained smile, bumping hips with Jared prompting him to curl a protective arm around his son.

“We got through,” Jared supplied easily and Jeff nodded, catching the apprehension and abruptly changing topics and asking Jensen about school.

“It’s going good, I’m on my final year now, afterwards I’ll join the pack as more than a freeloader,” Jensen joked lightly, quickly accepting the new topic. The youth never liked discussing his medical history too freely and Jared was glad Jeff didn’t press.

“Ahh, time to start secondary training, do you know which field or are you leaving it up to choice?” Werewolf education worked differently than human systems. Primary education was similar in structure but far more in depth, a lot more was expected than typical western schooling if you were a werewolf. The larger cities even had high amounts of human students registering because it was commonplace that their school system pushed students harder to excel and went beyond mere memorization and regurgitation. Primary education was a strong point for werewolves. Secondary education was different though, plenty of people argued it was too ridged. Upon finishing primary education - from age 4 until 19 - a werewolf was no longer considered a pup and expected to contribute to the pack. They were given a place somewhere within the structure, supply and demand. Sometimes a young werewolf would prefer one field to another and so they worked to excel in that area during their primary education in order to be allowed to study it in their secondary. Packs that did well and had no high demand for one field would usually let their youth pick for themselves of head off to a college or university if they pleased, it wasn’t an absolute law but still a common one, it was rare for a werewolf to willingly leave their pack. If a youth didn’t know what they wanted to do, they left it to what the pack counsel decided, the group usually finding something that would suit the youth. With his final months on the stretch, Jensen already had his secondary plans figured out, but then he already did years back. 

“I’m going into the medical field, the doctors here are both older so in a decade or so the pack will need someone new,” Jensen explained.

“With all the time he’s spent in hospitals and clinics he knows a lot about medicine already,” Jared chimed in and watched the other alpha nod his head.

“You’d think you’d want to avoid more time in those places, but if that doesn’t bother you it make sense, you’ve already got a head start.”

“He worked last summer with Dr. Singer already, and he said Jensen was very promising,” Jared couldn’t help but add with a little smug note that made Jensen flush a little. “Plus, he was the one who asked Jensen to work with him, it had nothing to do with me.”

“Dad,” Jensen finally mumbled and Jared grinned down at his pup.

“Don’t be modest, you’re gonna rock being a doctor.”

“Looks like your dad has enough ego for the both of you,” Jeff said wryly and Jared just shrugged and dragged Jensen close in a one armed hug.

“It’s not my fault he turned out epic.”

 

The office was similar to a government building, a place filled with rooms that were filled with paperwork humans liked and all sorts of up keep on the pack and their lives. Health files, employment records, pointless things that needed to be kept on paper. Official complaints came there and Jared was left to deal with them when the staff couldn’t. Today was a blessedly slow one and the majority of the staff got a giggle out of their ruffled state. Any other visiting alpha would be offended but Jeff had been a close friend for years and took it all with a smirk of his own.

Jared’s office wasn’t anything particularly fancy but it was closed in so he let Jensen change there, his son not bothering to close the door but normally a wolf wouldn’t be self-conscious at all since nudity was normal for them with all the shifting. But Jensen had always been a little nervous about being exposed, not for his bare body but for the marks on it. Scars were uncommon, healing was usually absolute and only the most wicked of injuries would scar. Jared had been a part of a vicious territory war, nearly had his leg torn off and all he had to show were a few nicks here and there, nothing notable.

Jensen had long jagged lines on his back and stomach from his mother’s teeth. They would never go away, always be there as silent reminders of how close Jensen came to death. No one ever dared to speak openly to Jensen about them, even the youngest pup new better but some wolves looked too long and Jensen noticed, he always did. So Jared let him take some privacy to change.

With the door ajar he caught sight of Jensen’s bare back, the scars white against his freckled skin and Jared wished they would fade, if only to reassure Jensen of his physical beauty. Because there was no doubt Jensen was stunning, Jared mused eyeing the curve of Jensen’s spine and the sweet curve of his waist.

“So I don’t see that pretty secretary anywhere?” Jeff mentioned, drawing Jared’s attention from his pup.

“Sandy?” he asked and then shrugged. “She moved floors, Paula helps me now,” Jared explained pointing to the woman at her desk, the entire thing covered with pictures of her pups and mate.

“You do get Sandy was single and sweet on you for a reason right?  That there was intention behind the pack wanting her to be your secretary?”

“I know, they’ve been throwing every single wolf at me lately.”

“So why not? It’s been nearly two decades and Jensen not a puppy anymore, it’s a good time take a new mate,” Jeff advised and Jared shrugged. His first attempt to take a mate had been political and had gone horridly so this time around he wanted it to be a love match. But as much as he honestly wouldn’t mind a mate he also knew Jensen would hate it. As a pup he’d been stubborn about Jared dating, crying and insisting his father was going to get rid of him if found a pretty mate and had puppies with her, one that weren’t weak and scarred. At that time Jared had easily given up dating for his teary-eyed pup but Jensen decided there was some truth in his fears and always clung to Jared, got stormy eyed and sullen when Jared took some wolf out. Despite being much older now Jensen was still edgy, he started getting tense every time Jared had to work late, knowing Sandy would be there with his father. While his son didn’t say anything on the matter Jared could see how miserable it made his pup so he had the female transferred. Sandy had been nice but the obvious matchmaking was kind of annoying for Jared as well, so giving Jensen what he wanted had been easy for Jared and worth the happy smile Jensen hadn’t been able to hide when Jared told him Sandy was moving floors.  

But openly admitting Jensen was the reason he wasn’t dating made it clearly obvious that Jared was whipped so he settled on ‘trust issues’ as his excuse. Unfortunately it was starting to wear thin with the pack.

Jensen emerged from Jared’s office with his wet clothing folded up and a thankful smile for his father. Even if the pack wanted Jared to take a new mate the alpha was firm on his refusal, he wanted these next few years to be his and his sons. Jensen was at the age of mating now, old enough to know himself and the kind of mate he wanted for his life companion. But until hip pup was ready to walk out of his life to start his own, Jared would keep Jensen as the center of his.

 

Paperwork sucked.

It was a pointless human thing and Jared despised having to sit at a table and slap his signature on every single page to prove he read it and was a responsible and capable alpha. He’d fought off an invading pack, everyone in his pack was well fed, there were healthy and happy, so why did Jared get punished with paperwork?

Having Jeff there helped pass the evening faster, they renewed all the land treaties and contracts. Jared gave up a bit of land on their side in order to gain access a lake on the edge of the boarders to Jeff’s territory. It was all formality in the end, their packs got along as well as they did and trespassed freely knowing damn well no one really cared. But the paper work had to be done, the government demanded it, so they worked through it, normally they’d spend the evening on it as well but Jared wanted to head home and make sure Jensen wasn’t showing any signs of a cold or anything. So they left the work for the next morning.  

When Jared got home he knew he’d caught Jensen right away as his pup flushed guilty and slapped his laptop closed. Before Jared could say a word Jensen was up the stairs and into the bathroom, the shower starting up shortly after.  The weak scent of arousal made Jared smirk and shake his head, amused with such a shy son. Jensen was at the age where curiosity about sex was normal, he’d start dating soon and after that he’d take a mate. It was bittersweet but true and Jared didn’t want to discourage Jensen from exploring his sexuality.

Jensen had left Jared a meal in the microwave and he heated it up and ate easily, listening to the shower running upstairs as his pup hid adorably. Jensen eventually came downstairs, scrubbed pink to hide his blushing. 

“You were supposed to be at the office late,” he accused and Jared gave him a smirk but didn’t tease Jensen, he didn’t want him to feel like masturbation was a bad thing.

“I came home early to check on you, you don’t have the sniffles or anything do you?” He asked with real concern and Jensen scoffed at Jared’s unapologetic over the top and way beyond protectiveness.

 

Jared and Jensen shared computers, or more acutely, Jensen shared his. Jared used his own for work alone and other office members were on it all the time so he tried to keep everything personal on Jensen’s. So Jared knew the passwords to his son’s laptop and after Jensen was gone to bed, he couldn’t help but snoop a little.

Jensen hadn’t cleared his history so Jared took a little peek and picked the last page Jensen had been on. It loaded up and a video waited to be started, turning the volume down all the way, Jared played it.

It was porn.

Two males, a bigger one and a smaller younger one, what was that called again? A twink? Something like that. Jared watched the video easily, a little excited but not overly, porn rarely did it like the real thing for werewolves, the sounds and smells just as important as the imagery. But it was healthy for Jensen to be interested in a sex, more so something that was reminiscent of an omega and his mate. Sexuality was open for werewolves, homosexuality wasn’t unusual or unwanted so Jared wasn’t fazed at all by the two males. They were being a little rough but it was pretty vanilla, the older bigger one manhandling and his mouth moving, dirty talk, lots of it but nothing else outrageous. Jared tilted his head and tried to read the lips, squinting as it cut to the boy and he said something, his mouth moving in the same way, repeating a word, chanting it. Glancing at the stairs to the second floor where Jensen was in bed, Jared left the kitchen table and found a pair of headphones stuffed in Jensen’s backpack. Plugging in to the laptop he turned the volume on low and put a headphone to his ear, the sound barely on to keep Jensen’s sensitive hearing from catching it. Jared glanced at the stairs again and then froze on the spot as he realized what the younger guy in the porno was saying.

_“Daddy, please daddy, daddy, fuck me daddy!”_

_“You like it baby? Like being your daddy’s little bitch?”_

_“Yes! Yes, daddy, please, please,”_

Jared stared at the screen like it was showing him the raunchiest kinkiest porn he’d ever seen before. The fairly vanilla scene suddenly shocking as the youth screamed for his ‘daddy’ and the older one spurted filth in answer. It didn’t even sound cheesy, not like they were reading from a script or their words planned, it sounded genuine as they fucked roughly. Jared felt his cock twitch once, filling out in his jeans and he nearly fell from his seat. Closing the video quickly and shutting the computer off, he put it back where he took it, shoved Jensen’s headphones back in his bag and headed upstairs trying to forget what he’d just seen.   

 

Jared was shit at avoiding Jensen for any reason at all. His need to protect and know where Jensen was at all times trumped any desire to be away from him. Plus their lives were completely intermingled, both their schedules made so they spent maxim time together. Jensen was always quick to catch something off about Jared as well so the alpha couldn’t take off early for work like he kind of wanted too. Instead he went for a long run and took a shower when he got back, Jensen up and in the kitchen when he got out. The teenager was making breakfast as per their routine, scrambled eggs and bacon heaped onto a plate for Jared. With a calming breath Jared stomped down his nerves and told himself it probably had nothing to do with him, just a weird little kink, no harm.

“Morning,” he greeted and Jensen smiled turning to his father and Jared moved automatically suddenly very aware that he kissed his pup a lot, even it there were just chaste touches on his forehead.

“Morning, do you need a lunch today?” Jensen reminded him and Jared went about slapping together a few sandwiches for himself. He usually had lunch in the park, Jensen with him when he could but with Jeff still visiting and paperwork piling he’d have to spend the day in the office. They got through their routine easily enough and Jensen seemed unaware of what Jared had seen.

 

“Am I inappropriate with my pup?” Jared asked Jeff straight away when they were alone with piles of things to sign.

“Completely,” Jeff shot back without hesitation, his eyes on page after page as he signed away. “People have been telling you that for years but neither of you have ever cared before, so why now?”

“I dunno, all this Jensen is growing up stuff is getting to me, everyone keeps talking about him dating and it got me thinking I suppose,” never once had Jared ever claimed to be a good liar. Jeff gave him a single look reminding him of that but didn’t press for the truth.

“What...what do you think make me inappropriate?”

“Lots of things,” Jeff started, pausing in his work to finally really look at the other alpha. “You two are close, really close and you’ve always been wildly over protective, for good reason but still, really close, and werewolves are all about being touchy feely, so one telling you that means something. Jensen is getting to the age where he should find a mate and move out as well but it seems a ways off still.”

“So all the touching?”

“Why are you really so hung up about this suddenly?”

“…I want what’s best for Jensen, I don’t want to be keeping him from a good mate because I loom too much,” Jared answered in half-truth and Jeff shrugged.

“Don’t worry on that, Jensen’s a happy kid best as I can see and he’s just as bad as you for being clingy, when he’s ready to leave the nest he will,” Jeff advised with a air of finality and Jared forced himself to focus on work for the day. It wasn’t like it was that odd for Jensen to still be at home. Nineteen was around the age when a young wolf took a mate but it wasn’t a set thing, no one would be worried until Jensen was twenty-six and still at home. The idea both pleased Jared and bothered him, he wanted all the time he could with his pup but not at the price of Jensen being alone without a mate.  

 

Dinner was made up by the time Jared got home, a plate waiting for him on the stove while Jensen was at the table, doing homework.

“Did you get everything done today?” His son asked in greeting and Jared gave a positive nod and stretched his sore muscles. After a long day in the office he wanted to go for a run, a proper one on all four legs but dinner came first.

“What are you working on?” Jared asked trying to play it smooth like it wasn’t big that he hadn’t given Jensen a hug or quick kiss like he did every time he got home to him. Jensen made no show of noticing either and he launched into his latest schoolwork easily, the air between the comfortable and like a parent child relationship should be.

“I’m going for a run,” Jared announced to his pup after demolishing the meal, dropping the plate in the sink he glanced at Jensen.

“Did you wanna come?” It came out too tentative even to Jared’s ears. Jensen pretended like he didn’t pick up on it but Jared new how sensitive he was. “I’m sorry, I’m just tired and I wanna run till I drop but I would like some company,” he backtracked wincing on how pointing out Jensen’s physical limits probably just made it worse.

“It’s fine dad, we don’t have to be in each others company at all times, go take a run, I’m gonna have a bath soon anyway,” Jensen said with a little smile, excusing Jared and making him feel worse for it. What he saw on the laptop shouldn’t come between them, this was his son, his only pup, and Jared needed to get rid of the bizarre discomfort humming in his bones. 

The night air felt good in his lungs and running long and hard cleared his mind. If his pup wanted him, he would gently reject him, Jensen would be hurt but move on. It gave Jared some stability finally, he didn’t even know if Jensen had feelings like that for him, for all he knew his son had watched some daddy role-play porn without knowing that’s what it was or it could have been sent to him by someone as a joke. But if Jensen did want him he would let his pup down as gently as possible and then help Jensen move on, find a proper mate to build a life with. With a plan in place it calmed Jared’s nerves and he got home in a good mood, disappointed to find Jensen already gone to bed.

Crawling into his own for the night he slumped into the cool sheets and the long day put him out right away.

Jared woke as soon as the bed shifted, the weight of another body displacing the mattress under him. His pup’s scent filled his nose and he heard the soft rhythm of Jensen’s heart beat. Rolling off his back he stretched out an arm blindly and dragged his son to him, curling them up tightly. This was another thing the never had outgrown, Jensen crawling in bed with him. Although to be fair it was usually because of the weather, Jensen always took to a chill way to easily.

“Did I do something to upset you?” Jensen asked him, voice pitched low and unsure. If the boy were in his wolf form Jared imagined he’d be giving little whimpers, crawling on his belly in submission.   

“…Nah, just had a long few days of Jeff telling me I coddle you too much is all,” Jared lied but pulled Jensen in and snuggled him.

“Who cares what he thinks,” Jensen grumbled back and pushed his face into Jared’s shoulder, a tiny quiver working it’s way through Jensen’s body. It made Jared feel stupid for overreacting so badly. Jensen was pressed up to Jared and not the slightest hint of aroused, his pup wasn’t hiding some secret crush and Jared had inadvertently hurt Jensen because he had thought so.   

“Agreed,” he told his pup and dropped a kiss into his son’s messy hair before he went back to sleep.

 

“We on for this Saturday?”

“Why hello to you to Chad, lovely weather were having, how’s your family?” Jared mocked as his childhood friend scoffed into the phone. Jensen smiled into his book but otherwise ignored the telephone conversation.

“Hello is for losers, we live in same tiny town with the same freaking weather and our parents still live across from each other, plus my mom works in your office, so fuck you alpha.”

Jared laughed, watching dinner on the stove carefully while he bickered back and forth with his friend.

“Anyway, like I said when I started the conversation, before it got all pointless and over long, we on for Saturday?”

Once a month or so they would drive into the city and spend an evening enjoying the nightlife. Jared wasn’t dead from the waist down and while he didn’t mind not dating he did need to get laid. After the whole mess with the porn he figured getting any sexual urges out of his system was long over due.

“Yeah, I’m in,” he agreed and looked over at Jensen, who wrinkled his nose but only teased in good nature. As long as Jared came home alone, his pup had never minded his and uncle Chad’s ‘adventures’.

“You better remember to shower and wash out your mouth before you come home this time,” Jensen warned and Jared had the grace to blush. Werewolves’ sense of smell wasn’t always a blessing, not when it was acute enough that one would know that their father had not only fucked, but gone down on some girl the night before.   

“Tequila, pretzels and seafood,” Jensen muttered lowly as he left the room and Jared threw a spatula after him.

 

Compared to a werewolf town a city was akin to a twilight zone. In a town of werewolves the population was always on the low side and everyone knew each other, literally. There were few bright startling lights or noises and every place was mindful of harsh smells, garbage bins were air sealed. A city was a mixed world in which humans and weres coexisted together. Jared could never live in a city, too much noise and nasty scents, bodies crammed on every street, and traffic going at all hours. There was no downtime; no quiet in a city and after a day in an office Jared needed the silence. The outskirts of the city was packed with shopping malls, bars and clubs. It was convenience for those from small towns to come in for and get what they wanted and leave without having to brave the actually city. Jared and Chad frequented the same all-species-welcomed clubs and Jared was comfortable in the place, knowing there were plenty of people looking for the thrill of sleeping with a werewolf.

Jared intended on a pretty blond with a nice rack and tight red dress but he ended up with a young guy somehow. He figured it was the shy nature to him, he looked too young, too innocent for a meat market club like the one he was in. Jared had just wanted to chat him up a little, help him get over his nerves before returning to his pursuit of the blond. What he ended up with was a dark booth with the guy in his lap and tongue down his throat.

It wasn’t like Jared hadn’t taken male partners before, for a long while after his disastrous mating he’d preferred them, but either gender worked fine. But with the mess with Jensen Jared had thought a pretty little female was in order, not a pretty little male. Still he liked the guy and his cock was on board so Jared just went with it.

Across from the club was a rent by the hour motel, a little pricy but then the rooms weren’t dives so Jared figured it was fair enough. His partner of the evening, Adam, came along shyly but his scent was eager.

“I’ve never done this before,” the human admitted and Jared chuckled, trapping Adam against the wall so he could lean down and give him another wet kiss.

“Fucking? You don’t seem like a virgin,” Jared drawled, voice amused as Adam worked Jared’s jeans open in record time.

“With a werewolf, never done it with a werewolf,” Adam replied openly and Jared liked that he didn’t tiptoe around it. Taking the small man’s waists he lifted him from the floor easily, showing off his strength as Adam wrapped his legs around Jared’s hips.

“Lets break you in then,” Jared grinned, letting his eyes flash with a gleam of unnatural light as his pupils dilated. The young man’s scent spiked hard with arousal and Jared grinned, pulling the clothing off the kid and shoving his down on the bed, wondering where he wanted to start.

Adam tasted like whatever sweet drink he’d had at the club and Jared liked the sugary tang, chasing the faint taste in his mouth as he fucked the kid. Breaking the kiss Jared licked at the exposed neck of his partner, nipping lightly as he pumped into Adam. Despite his meek nature in public the guy was noisy now, hitched moaning in time with the bedsprings squeaking. Adam was on his back; legs hitched on Jared’s waist as he pinned the kid’s wrist above his head with one hand and held Adam’s hips up at a good angle to fuck him with the other.

He felt good, a warm wet heat around Jared’s cock and the werewolf pounded him harder, getting nothing but Adam’s encouraging whimpers when he rode him good and hard but kept his strength under control, it was easy to hurt human partners in bed but Jared had years of experience, he knew how much the human body could take.  There would be bruises that would ache for days but nothing beyond that, no broken bones or torn muscle.

“Can you take it? Can you handle it rough?” Jared asked just to get the kid moaning harder, slamming into him once fast and hard to punctuate the question and the human was a mess, nodding and whimpering, writhing on the bed under Jared.

“You a good little bitch? Gonna let the werewolf ride you and put you away wet?” Getting a hand between them Jared fisted Adam’s cock, pumped him quick while he fucked him viciously, looking for a release. Adam was digging his nails into Jared’s back while he moaned out for more.

“Good boy, my good little boy,” Jared growled, voice going rough and unnatural and Adam shuddered and came to it. The werewolf rode him through it, dropping his head to press kisses to the man’s brow as he strived for his own climax. Adam was plaint and spread his legs wide, willing as Jared slammed in deep and swore under his breath.

“Fuck baby, feels good pup, feel so fucking-” Jared broke off with a hiss, his rhythm going frantic as he felt the high build and his cock pulsed, ready to spill. “Fuck baby, fuck, Jen-” He cut off and shoved one last time, grinding his hips as he spilled inside the wet heat of the body under him. For a few seconds nothing but the pleasure mattered and it consumed Jared.

But then everything slithered back in and the tension left his body as he slumped. Jared pulled free from the human before he swelled up and knotted with him. Sex was one thing but knotting was an intimacy inappropriate for one-night stands.

“…So, not to make this awkward, but who’s Jen?” Adam asked after a long pause and Jared’s eyes shot open, his body tensing dangerously.

“How do you know that name?”

“You just said it, you said ‘Jen’ while you got off.”

“…I did not,” Jared replied weakly but realized that he had. He’d said it out loud and pictured green eyes and freckles while he came in Adam, blue eyed and not a single freckle on him.

With a quick excuse Jared got out of there and ended up hanging out in the parking lot waiting for Chad to finish up. The cold air felt good on his skin as he tried to find an excuse for what had just happened. God, he’d thought of Jensen, thought of his own son under him while he got off. Jared swore quietly and leaned against the guardrail, glaring at the vending machines across form him. Right beside the pop and candy was a machine with condoms, dampers, and cleansers. All the things a werewolf needed to cover their tracks during affairs or underhanded acts. Damper hid scents and cleaners removed them, Alexis had used both products to hide her meeting with her pack and her growing resentment for Jared. The reminder of his previous mate did nothing to calm Jared’s nerves or help him deal with the undeniable fact that he wanted their pup.

Jared was so screwed.

 

Looking at his son was almost painful; Jared couldn’t deny the sexual edge he was seeing now. Ever since the night he saw the porn probably, maybe even before that on some level. Jensen was beautiful, Jared had never once denied that but he’d never really thought to examine it. When he looked at Jensen it wasn’t from an asexual view. He was aware his pup was attractive, which when Jared thought about probably wasn’t normal. But it didn’t make Jared feel that way any less to know he shouldn’t. Jensen was so small and delicate looking, thin little wrists and a soft curve to his hips, a sign of his fertility. Jared couldn’t look at his son and not note his full pouty lips, of the way his eyes looked when Jensen peered from under his thick lashes. So Jared clearly had some issues of his own, never mind Jensen being the one having inappropriate feelings.

Jared was embarrassed by his newfound attraction, humiliated to have said his own son’s name out loud during sex and utterly mortified with how the idea of it refused to go away now.

Incest wasn’t a moral taboo among werewolves.

In ancient times of pack fighting when kin were the only one trustworthy incest had been necessary and werewolf genetics had adjusted to suit. It took a good six or seven generation of immediate kin incest before any ill effects showed. Among werewolves human influence had helped to make is something a little negative but it was merely scandalous gossip for them and still far from obscene or illegal. What more, the fact that Jensen was an omega made it all that much more allowable. Jared was an unmated pack alpha and like with his mother, the idea of Jared rejecting Jensen, an omega, was ridiculous. If Jared decided to claim his own pup few pack members would protest. The messed up thoughts kept circling in Jared’s head, muttering at him while he tried to keep his eyes off his son’s ass, realizing now how damn delicious it was.

“Are you alright? You’ve been weird since you went into the city,” Jensen told him at dinner a few days after the sex thing.

“I’m fine, just thinking on stuff,” he dismissed but his pup just frowned, not buying the empty reassurance.

“Just with the weekend and stuff the pack has been bugging me about… I’m just thinking about the future, about maybe one day…I dunno, taking another mate,” Jared managed to get out watching his son drop his gaze to his plate, trying to mask his reaction. “Does it bother you?” The alpha asked, watching his pup squirm under his gaze.

“If- If that’s what you want, if you’ve found someone you want like that, I don’t want to be in the way, I want you to be happy Dad,” Jensen said with a small shrug his tone quiet but earnest.

Jared sat back in his seat and watched his child eat silently, looking at Jensen and for the first time realizing that if he took Jensen has his mate, he would never have to let his precious pup go. Going from a horrible wrong stance to a maybe slightly ok one was an epiphany Jared wasn’t entirely certain how to react to.

Jensen slipped into bed with him that night, needy and curling up close with an air of apprehension, like Jared would send him back to his own bed for the first time. Jared pulled his pup in tight and coddled him, pressed skin against skin and rested his mouth along his son’s ear as he muttered nonsense words to sooth the tension from Jensen’s form.

“I love you above all others, forever,” he softly promised wondering if his pup caught on to just how much his father meant that.

 

Regardless if Jensen did understand what was happening, things between them shifted. Those last few inches that separated their too close father son relationship from mates started to fade. Jared found his touches felt different now, friendly pats and hugs became lingering and charged, the feeling of Jensen’s body near his bringing up desire in a way Jared was new too. Jensen certainly felt the change between them but he seemed unsure what to do and it made Jared hold back, unsure if it was worth it to chance that last step. What if he pushed his son somewhere Jensen didn’t want to be? It would ruin their relationship; undo all the tightly knit parts that made up them. Those sorts of thoughts kept Jared from acting on his newfound pull to Jensen.

But it didn’t stop him from becoming insufferably jealous.

Jared was overbearing to begin with but suddenly he was worse somehow glaring at the unmated male wolves that hung around Jensen. Chris was one in particular who bared the blunt of Jared’s annoyance. But that was because it was exceedingly obvious he had a crush on Jensen.

Coming home was about relaxing, letting go worries of the day in order to wind down for the evening. Jared was fully prepared to do just that but stopped short when he caught the scent of another in his house. Sure enough Chris was tucked in close to Jensen at the kitchen table, schoolwork laid out before them.

“Evening alpha,” the other wolf said with a respectful nod but Jared just frowned at him, not liking how close he was to Jensen at all. It took his son giving him his own frown to make Jared grumble back a reply.

“Is it ok if Chris stays for dinner tonight?” Jensen asked with an easy tone but his head was tilted just so and his gaze was accessing Jared and his lack of manners.

“Uh another night maybe, I don’t have enough for three and I don’t wanna go out again,” Jared fumbled to reply and Chris nodded and started packing to leave while Jensen just watched his father suspiciously.

“What don’t we have enough of?” Jensen asked point blank the second Chris was gone and Jared fumbled to think of an answer.

“…meat?” he finally tried and his son’s sharp gaze told him it wasn’t going to fly.

“What was that all about?”

“It wasn’t anything, I just don’t like him sniffing around you,” Jared grumbled, feeling like a sullen child while he got himself a drink from the fridge, trying to break the conversation off by acting busy.

“Dad! I know you think Chris has some crazy crush on me, but he really doesn’t, we’re just friends,” Jensen huffed but thankfully he was more exasperated then genuinely upset.

“I know, Jensen sees all, Jensen knows all.”

“Hilarious,” his pup said with an eye roll and then he tried to slip passed Jared to go back to the kitchen table. The alpha had no real reason why, no forethought, but when Jensen moved passed him he lifted his arm to stop him, abruptly closing in on Jensen until they were a breath apart. He had his pup trapped between his hands on the wall, pushed up to it with Jared looming over him.  

“…dad?” His son asked quietly, but not afraid like any other wolf would be with the alpha locked on them so intently.

“Just…just don’t encourage him,” Jared finally asked, voice low as he moved his hand to cup Jensen’s face, his thumb dragging over the corner of Jensen’s mouth while he watched fixedly. “I don’t like other males so interested in you.”

Jensen didn’t say anything but his face flushed scarlet right to the tips of his ears and his heartbeat jumped frantic.

But his scent remained the same.

Jared frowned at that and stepped away, dropping his hand and grabbing his beer from the counter as he went outside to light the grill.

Something weird was going on.

Putting some steaks on, Jared puzzled over it as he watched the meat cook. Jensen’s scent hadn’t shifted at all, which was bizarre; the scent was ever changing. Not because of what someone ate or did, it was a common misassumption. It did factored in on a lesser level but the prominent scent a werewolf zeroed in on was mood. Pheromones to be exact. They adjusted to one’s emotional state and responded as such. From sexual interest to terror, they covered all the ranges and were in constant movement from one to another. A scent that didn’t jump around while a heart rate did was a scent that wasn’t true. There were plenty of products on the market for that sort of thing, dampeners that would hide a scent and cleansers that would wipe scents all away.

Jared watched the meat burn as he realized Jensen might already be in a relationship already, he might have spread his legs for Chris and then used something to cover it from him. The idea that Jensen was hiding such a huge thing from him shot a hole right through Jared. They don’t hide things from each other, they never did that.

Worse yet, what if it wasn’t just sex? What if Jensen was in love with the other wolf, what if he was trying to work up to telling Jared he was going to leave soon? Most pups left their parents when they started secondary education; the lived with others close to their age or more commonly shacked up with their mate.

What if Jensen had already picked his mate?

In a few months time Jared could have an empty house and hollow heart. He’d let himself fall for this, dived right into the idea of Jensen being his without even considering his son already had someone.

What the hell was he supposed to do if Jensen packed up and left him for good, moved on with his life and let the bond he had with his father fade. Jared’s heart thumped furiously and twisted painfully at the idea, knowing full well he’d let it happen, watch his son leave him, what else could he do?  

“They’re burning!” Jensen’s panicked voice called and Jared blinked over at his son while Jensen pointed to the grill urgently, reminding Jared he was supposed to be cooking. In the end they were charred but still edible. Jared wasn’t known for his culinary skills but he could usually handle a grill just fine. Even still Jensen let him off and ate his crispy steak in peace, making his father worry even more.    

“You’d tell me… stuff right?” Jared asked in the middle of an awkwardly quiet dinner, making Jensen blink up at him in confusion. “I mean, you don’t feel like you need to hide things from me right?” He fumbled to explain and Jensen shook his head quickly, too quickly.

“You’re getting paranoid again,” Jensen teased but there was tiny strain in his tone and Jared locked on it with a pain in his chest.

Jensen was lying to him.

 

Jared didn’t panic very often.

He kept cool under pressure and when times get tense he hunkered down and soldiered through, it part of what made him a good pack leader. The only time Jared fell apart was when it came to those he cared about. When a few perceptive pack members thought Alexis was up to something right before her betrayal Jared had willfully ignored the notion, completely unable to think that of his mate. With that in mind Jared knew he was overreacting and doing something stupid, but he couldn’t stop himself.

After a tense dinner Jensen went upstairs and the second the shower started Jared was flying into his son’s room and snooping wildly. At first he had the presence of mind to be careful, putting things back where they went. He checked the usual spots, under the bed, in the closet, the dresser drawers; but as he moved his calm quickly came undone. Images and scenarios started building, Jensen having sex with Chris, letting that no good brat take him and then going through the trouble of covering it up from Jared. What if it wasn’t just Chris, what if it was anyone who wanted it, what if Jensen was some sort of pack slut and no one had the balls to actually tell Jared about it because they knew he’d freak? Why would Jensen hide it though, why was he hiding things, didn’t he trust his father? Jared had worked his whole life to be a good father, to be open and understanding. He’d been stupid apparently to think it was real, that Jensen didn’t have secrets beyond the superficial ones. The more the thoughts twisted and rushed around in his mind the more things Jared knocked over, the more aggressive he was as he tore the room apart looking for something while having no clue what it was he was hunting for.

His emotions jerked him around until Jared’s control splintered and he shifted unwillingly. The wolf was no better, scratching and yanking at his clothing until they tore away and the scrambling to continue searching the room. If Jared had been bad before the wolf was atrocious, yanking things over, pawing them down, breaking things as he sniffed and searched relentlessly.

Jared found them stashed behind books, carefully stacked in a tiny corner at the far back and almost unnoticeable. The labels where peeled off and Jared snatched one in his muzzle gnawing until it gave was and the disgusting liquid filled his mouth. He spat the bottle out and sniffed at even though he knew already.

Dampener.

His pup had hidden bottles of Dampener stashed away.

Jared stared at the little bottle spilling out on the carpet, panting and unmoving as he watched the thing empty. Jensen was lying to him, Jensen was hiding things. Jared let a pained noise leave his throat and then he launched himself at the other bottles ripping them all apart, spilling it everywhere but too caught up in his anger to care. Dampener and cleanser, the two things werewolves used to hide things; that they wore so they could cheat or betray their pack, things _Alexis_ had used.   

“What are you doing?!” Jensen cried out abruptly, voice shocked as Jared whirled to stare at his pup. Jensen was only half washed and dripping water, clearly pulled from the shower by the racket. He took in his room with wide eyes before he saw the bottle and Jared saw the guilt come to Jensen’s gaze.

_Liar, a little lair._

_You trust her and she betrayed you, killed your children._

“I can explain,” Jensen started but Jared snarled, he didn’t want to hear it. Jensen knew he didn’t have to hide anything; Jared would love him no matter what. The omega was damn well aware of how much secrets fucked with Jared, how they shattered him after Alexis’ staggering treachery. But he still did it, knowing full well how much it would hurt Jared, how much he hated those products. The alpha gave a low pained whine and then another snarl, dashing passed his son and down the stairs quickly. The back door was a push style, made for werewolves to come and go. Jared slammed his weight into it and it opened for him, yielding the cool air of the evening as he took off as fast as he legs would let him, ignoring Jensen’s calls.

Jared ran long and hard for hours and hours, until his paws ached and his lung strained. He avoided the rest of the pack and just pushed himself until he could barely breathe, staggering in the thick forest that made up their pack land. When his legs trembled and finally gave out Jared thumped into the cold snow and lay their panting as his mind raced around.

He was over reacting, he knew that more then well enough, but he couldn’t stop it. It was humiliating that he got so wound up about this sort of thing. That something so simple could fuck with him on this level. Jensen wasn’t his mother, he wasn’t anything like her and now Jared felt shame for even thinking it. He knew that while he was a competent pack alpha he was fucked up in his personal life. Jared’s life revolved around Jensen because the concept of his own son hurting him had never crossed his mind. His pup loved him and Jared returned it whole-heartedly, more so of late with his ideas of incest, maybe that was why he was so willing to want Jensen that way. Anyone else was a stranger, they all had the potential to betray him, every wolf he dated Jared had wondered if their smiles were real, Alexis had been so good at making hers seem real. The idea of Jensen being his mate sounded so good because Jared already trusted him, he didn’t have to let anyone in because Jensen was already there.

But this was reality, Jared had been sucker punched back into it. Jensen was growing up and one day he would leave Jared. Then the alpha would be alone, unable to trust or unwilling, either way he was fucked.

Ears down and tail tucked Jared whined softly into the dirt, the wolf mourning his own shortcomings while simultaneously berating himself for such pathetic wallowing.

 

The wind brought Jensen’s soft scent shortly before the sounds of a wolf approaching were audible. Jared wanted to take off again, he needed to calm down before he dealt with Jensen, apologize for freaking out and destroying his son’s room. But Jensen’s panting was labored; a wheezing that put Jared on alert and kept him in place. Jensen was small for a werewolf but he was fast as hell. The thing was he could only do it in spurts; long range running and his weak lungs didn’t mix. Each shuddering breath sounded dry and painful, making Jared stare in worry as his son approached him.

When Jensen closed in looking to touch, Jared’s snarl warned him off harshly, he wasn’t ready to accept Jensen’s affection right then. He felt bad for it immediately but in the same thought he knew he couldn’t help it. The wolf in him acted on instinct before thought, his child had hurt him whether intentional or not.

Jensen’s form crumpled in reaction and he crawled on his belly, whining pitifully at Jared as he groveled in the dirt. His ears were pressed back and flat to his skull his tail gone under his body as the wolf showed every sign of a submissive, desperate, apology. Normally Jared crumpled like tissue paper under Jensen’s pleading but this time he just watched, unsure for once of what to do.

Jensen wasn’t his anymore, he was his own wolf now and ready to start his own life. Jared’s place in that would be far less than what it was currently. The sooner he let go of Jensen the quicker his son could move on. But even with strife between them, Jared didn’t want to lose his pup any sooner than he had to. He finally looked away from the smaller wolf, not snarling or chasing him off but choosing to ignore him. It was a clear signal that while Jared was still pissed he wasn’t unforgiving. Jensen gave a sharp yip and rushed in close, licking at Jared eagerly while his tail went crazy. Jared lifted his head and didn’t meet Jensen’s gaze but he let the pup lick and nuzzle at him as he pleased. Like a young pup Jensen danced around his father rubbing and nuzzling excitedly, pleading for a token of Jared’s attention while the older werewolf looked off into the forest. But Jensen kept firm, wiggling all over as he whined and licked at Jared’s chin, his breathing still wheezy in a way that worried Jared. That was what finally broke him, Jared ducked his head and acknowledged Jensen, the other wolf dropping and rolling to offer his throat in submission and keeping still as Jared sniffed at his nose, looking for the scent of blood. When Jensen pushed himself too hard his throat usually bled. There was no sign but still Jared trotted over to a dripping icicle and lapped at it, prompting Jensen to follow suit. The other wolf lapped hurriedly and Jared watched alarmed until he realized Jensen was only doing it so desperately because Jared had wanted him too. When he flopped down into the snow Jensen lined himself up and laid beside Jared tightly, the lines of their body pressed close and his pup ate some snow letting it cool his throat, he glanced up at Jared to see if he was watching, wanting approval.

Affection filled Jared and for all his misgivings Jensen was his beloved pup so he leaned over and gave Jensen’s ear a long lick, lazily grooming the other wolf like he did when Jensen was a puppy, for once Jensen hurried to press into it rather than get embarrassed. They had always been affectionate as wolves as much as humans and Jared felt some peace fill him as he nuzzled and tucked in close with Jensen. Just resting with his pup and left alone from the world and all it’s expectancies.            

But the sunrise slowly crept across the sky and when it rose up they lifted their ears as the pack called. Long howls echoed in the forests as the pack searched for it’s absent alpha, missing from his day job and not answering his phones. Jared stretched out his legs, feeling their ache from running and wondering how sore Jensen must be to have chased him all night. His son stayed in the dirt and just watched as Jared lifted his head and answered the call. His howl rang out loud and vibrated in his chest as he answered, using calm tones to relay he was fine. When he finished a second call rang out looking for Jensen and Jared answered for him, his pup was always weak in howling. No other wolf was allowed to answer for him but Jared though, too much potential for danger in his view and since his pup was usually at his side no one had any issues with it.

The howling was getting closer now and Jared gave himself a full body shake, letting the last of his stress leave him as he gave Jensen a light nip on the flank to get him moving. They started back to the town, going leisurely and meeting Misha halfway. As one of the key hunters in the pack, Misha usually did the patrolling and he checked them over with a few sniffs, his ears perking at the strain still in their scents. But a growl from Jared had him backing off and letting them be, still Jared knew it would get around the pack that something was going on between Jared and his son. It would have to be dealt with, just like Jared would have to have a long conversation with Jensen soon. For now though he just made his way home and padded upstairs to his bedroom, Jensen trailing after him and then curling up on the bed with Jared. If Jensen recognized that Jared was staying in his wolf form intentionally he didn’t point it out, just let his father tuck his muzzle along Jensen’s neck and sleep.

 

Jared supposed he shouldn’t have been surprised to wake up and find Jensen, human and awake, idly stroking Jared’s fur. Normally wolves slept lightly but Jared was dead to the world once asleep, no matter what form. He missed Jensen change and now had no chance to slink off.

“Will you turn?” Jensen requested softly and Jared’s ears went back, showing he didn’t much care for that idea. His pup sighed but didn’t press it, settling close to Jared’s form and burying his fingers in his thick fur.

“I’m sorry, for hiding from you, more so with that stuff, I know how much you hate it, that…my mother used it when she worked to betray you,” Jensen said quickly, his fingers digging into Jared’s neck when the wolf tried to pull away. Jensen hugged Jared’s neck tightly, trapping him unless Jared would use force to break the embrace and seeming to know his father wouldn’t.

“Please here me out dad, you always walk away when things upset you, but please, I would never do anything to hurt you, never. I- I was ashamed,” his pup forced out, words almost running together in his rush to get it all out. Jared dearly wanted to leave but he resigned himself, even if he didn’t want to hear it he still needed to, it was a necessary conversation.

“It was all on me, you didn’t do anything wrong, it was all me,” Jensen explained, face buried in Jared’s fur with a faint puff of breath making it through to his skin.  

“I started feeling something that was wrong so I tried to hide it, I should have just told you but I was so humiliated, so freaked out to think that way…”

Jared tilted his head, ears perked now as he tried to put together what Jensen was saying. He reviewed the facts and everything seemed in place, until it suddenly occurred to Jared. Jensen had watched porn with incest themes and Jared had reassured himself it was nothing because Jensen had slept pressed up against him without a sexual reaction. But he’d probably had dampener on that night.

Sitting up abruptly, he shook Jensen off gently and the boy relented letting Jared peer down at him, his son looking so scared as he stared at the bedding and not the alpha wolf watching him keenly. Without preamble Jared pushed Jensen over and scented him, his pup was completely bare and Jared didn’t hesitate to shove his muzzle in Jensen’s crotch. Jensen didn’t have any dampener on because his reaction was instant and clear, a hard spike of desire.

“I’m sorry,” Jensen whispered with shame as Jared sniffed at him, the omega letting his father scent as he pleased without trying to hide anymore.

Jared turned then, he needed to be able to speak suddenly but when he was human again the words got stuck in his throat.

“You…?”

“It’s not something I meant for, when I was started puberty the way I looked at you changed, I knew it was wrong to think like that,” Jensen said, eyes trained downward firmly.

“Started puberty? Hell, how long have you been hiding this?” Jared asked with hurt in his voice, the revelation dimmed in the face that Jensen had kept such a secret for so long.

“I didn’t know what to do, I was so panicked that you’d…you’d think I was disgusting or…” Tears clogged his throat and Jensen blinked them away furiously. Jared didn’t think as he pulled his pup to him and curled himself around the boy tightly.

“I’d never think that, come on, you know how much I adore you.”

“And I was afraid to lose that, to see you look at me differently,” Jensen muttered into Jared’s neck, clinging tightly. “But I never meant to hurt you, I always felt like shit hiding it.”

Jared gave a soft huff, not sure what to say to that so he just stayed quiet, resting his chin on the top of Jensen’s head.

“Lately you started acting different,” Jared went stiff at that, knowing exactly what Jensen was referencing. “I wasn’t sure what it meant, you’re older so you have better control of your scent, I couldn’t read it clearly,” Jensen admitted, pulling away a bit to glance up at his father.

The subtle shift in Jensen scent matched the low flush on his face and Jared felt his own body heat up. “I was afraid I was just hoping, trying to see something there when it wasn’t. Was…was I wrong?” He inquired softly, peering up from under his damp lashes at his father and Jared couldn’t hide his reaction to such a look if he wanted. Jensen’s mouth pulled in a tiny coy smile at the desire coming off Jared and he felt his son’s body answer the reaction. The atmosphere shifted then, the air charged between them and Jensen no longer so terrified.

It felt too good to be true but Jared didn’t protest at all when Jensen timidly leaned up to press a soft kiss to his mouth. It was young and inexperienced and Jared felt a vicious sense of satisfaction in the innocence of the kiss, it told him Jensen wasn’t giving them out freely. Closing his hand over the back of Jensen’s neck, Jared curled his other arm over his son’s middle and tugged him in. Jensen moved so he was straddling Jared’s lap, pressing himself as close as he could as his thighs slid along Jared’s hipbones.

Jensen’s mouth was soft and push, full in a way that reminded Jared more over a woman then a man but he’d never tell his son that. Instead he just angled his head and slot their mouths together tighter, nipping at Jensen’s bottom lip while his hands roamed all over Jensen. He traced the smooth skin of his shoulders, down along his spine, over each dip of his scars and finally down to cup Jensen’s ass. He didn’t mean to make it so sexual but Luna, he’d wanted to do it for so long now and he wanted to know how that round pert ass felt in his palm. Jensen just jerked a touch before relaxing into the touch.

 _Virgin,_ Jared’s mind reminded him but damn Jensen tasted, felt and smelt so good. His scent was omega-sweet and tantalizing, fucking with Jared’s self-control. The smell of his son, of his only pup, was mingled for the first time with lust and desire. Jensen’s skin felt good under Jared’s calloused hands, soft and silky as he squeezed Jensen’s ass. Their kissing was getting more messy, rushed touched, wet licks and rough breathing. Jensen’s hands clutched at Jared’s shoulders his nail dug in a little when Jared dipped his fingers along the cleft of his son’s ass, moving down trace the rim of Jensen’s hole and feeling the slick there, an invitation only an omega male could offer him. It was one of a kind and Jared would have been lying if he didn’t admit he’d always wondered how it would feel.   

Jensen arched with a gasp, breaking their kissing, at the touch. Jared’s blunt fingertip pushing gently to feel him open up. A breathy whimper, Jensen’s finger nails scratching along his shoulders, and the hard spike of arousal from his pup fucked with Jared in a way he couldn’t recall ever experiencing, even in his younger years when sex was new and amazing every time.

Jared sat up roughly and Jensen’s legs clamped on his hips so he didn’t fall from his father’s lap as Jared moved them into the middle of the bed. Once there he peeled Jensen’s skinny legs from him so he could drop the boy onto his back, spread out for the taking. Jensen’s eyes were dilated to an unnatural degree and flashing with the golden hue of a werewolf, his eyes half lidded as he peered up at Jared while he chewed his lower lip in a nervous habit. The sight of his pup looking so shy and inexperienced didn’t wilt Jared’s erection at all, it only made him want it more, to be the first to take, to mark, and show his son how incredible sex could be.

“You’re so damn beautiful,” Jared muttered without thinking, stuck by how true it was, when he sat there and stared so openly in wonder of how freaking gorgeous his pup was.

“Corny and pervy,” Jensen replied quietly, but he flushed and his mouth twitched with a smile he tried to mask but couldn’t. Jared caught the way Jensen’s one hand drifted to his scars, reminding Jared how much Jensen felt the disfigured him.

“You are, every inch,” he pressed, moving so he could lean down and drop a kiss on the spot just below Jensen’s belly button where the scar started. “This makes you even more, because of what it represents, how strong you are even when most people don’t think that.” Tracing the marring with his tongue he followed the line to where is disappeared around to Jensen’s back and then he move up to where the other came round, letting it lead him to Jensen’s chest where he easily moved to press a light kiss to his son’s brow. 

“You…you really think that?” Jensen muttered, eyes looking away and face closed, his son hated being weak and it was clear he thought having to ask, needing reassurance about this was.

“Even though I might not look it, I’m a wolf before I’m human and wolves adore scars, we like seeing strength,” he reminded his pup, taking Jensen’s hand and showing him where Jared had a old gash across his hipbone.

“Does it make me look less attractive?”

Jensen just shook his head in negative, eyes watching now as he traced Jared’s skin, the touch feeling charged and making his cock twitch heavily. Jensen’s fingers moved from the jagged mark to where his father’s cock stood straining along his belly. A feather light touch was all it took for Jared to groan and snatch his hand away, moving to loom over Jensen, leaning down to drop a quick kiss to his brow like he’d done a million time prior.

“You’re gorgeous, don’t forget it.”

The second fell on his cheek and the third on his lips; Jensen’s mouth was so damn soft, Jared was sure he was developing a thing for it. His son took all his cues from his father, inexperienced clearly but aware of it, trying to mimic Jared’s every more. Jensen’s hands were curling around Jared’s neck, pulling him down closer as the inside of Jensen’s thigh skirted along Jared’s hip again, his other leg hooking on the back of Jared’s own and pulling him in, their bare bodies rubbing along one another. It stuck Jared then how petite Jensen was, he’d always been small and now pressed up like this it was obscene how tiny he was against Jared’s bulk. It shouldn’t have gotten Jared hotter but it just did, seeing how easily he could manhandle his pup, how huge his hands looked on Jensen’s skinny thigh.

Then his son tilted his hips and rolled them, making Jared growl against his mouth when his cock brushed along the silky soft skin of Jensen’s thigh. His hips thrust immediately, pushing against the feeling of friction. One of Jensen hands abandoned Jared’s neck and traced down his chest and stomach. Jensen’s fumbling fingers curled around Jared’s cock timidly and the old wolf broke their kiss to hiss out, shoving into the warmth as Jensen made a soft sound and watched with wide eyes as his father pumped into his hand.

The scent of an omega and the feel of warm skin all over him was messing with Jared’s mind, when he felt the first wet slippery sensation along the crown of his erection he shoved forward without thinking, nearly slamming himself into Jensen’s body in one hard lunge without realizing Jensen had positioned them. But the stroke missed and he didn’t get in, instead he rubbed along the tight little pucker and the cleft of his son’s ass. Dropping his head to Jensen’s neck Jared took a shuddering breath and tried to get his brain together. Jensen was trying to guide him in again and the urge to thrust was nearly imposable to ignore but Jared snatched his son’s hand from his cock and fumbled to be the grown up. He never intended this to go so far so fast, he’d just found out Jensen returned his sexual interest moment ago.     

“Can’t- fuck, Jensen can’t just- should be better,” Jared felt tongue tied as he tried to explain and Jensen understood right away, giving a little snort in reply.

“I’ve been crazy about you for years, spent all that time thinking about this, every time I got off, thought about it, thought about you, fucking me, sucking me, letting me suck you, I’ve thought about it all for years and years. I don’t need wine and candle light or some stupid thing – m’not a girl - just, just do it already,” Jensen growled, looking desperate and pissed about it. He broke the loose hold Jared had on his wrist and grabbed Jared’s hand, tugging it so he could press his father’s fingers to the soaked pucker of his asshole, rubbing the pads of his fingertips along the slick. Jensen’s own cock was butted against his stomach, white smears of pre cum along his skin as he shuddered under Jared’s touch, a white smear pulsing from the tip.

“You want it, it makes me so freaking happy you do, so just touch me already,” his son tried to tease but his voice was pitched too deep, a hitch in it that made Jared’s cock twitch as his fingers curled of their own will and pressed carefully, feeling Jensen open up for him. He slid his middle finger in deep, pressing into the heat and slick as he curled his finger. Jensen gave a sudden jolt and whimper forcing a dark smirk from his father as Jared rubbed at his prostate again and watched Jensen jerk in response.

“You talk so bold, about wanting it all but baby you’ve never even had the mildest of it,” Jared muttered, watching his finger gleam with slick as he pressed back and eased two in this time, seeing Jensen’s body stretch open and adding a third finger last second on impulse just to see Jensen squirm as he jammed them into the tiny hole and fingered Jensen’s asshole open.

“Can barely take them and you already want my cock, fuck Jen, what if I knotted? Shoved in here and stretched you open far wider then you could take?”

“I’d take it, even if I couldn’t, I’d take it,” Jensen shot back, voice defiant and Jared glanced up at him, feeling the wolf pulsing just under the surface. Dominate him, mark and claim him it hissed but Jared wasn’t some pup without control. The rush he’d felt minutes ago melted away as Jared took control, his nerves gone now. Jensen was his, would be his, there was no need to rush nor any need to wait, either way the result would be the same.

Jared tilted his head and smiled as his fingers pressed in the right spot and Jensen sucked in a hard breath. His eyes were squeezed shut and his breathing erratic as his body jolted each time Jared found his prostate. With his free hand Jared dragged his fingers feather light over Jensen’s erection and felt the length twitch in answer. The tip with beaded with more precum and Jared rubbed the end of his finger in the mess before bringing it to his mouth and tasting the faint tang, Jensen opening eyes to watch at the last second.  

“P-please, Luna, please just...”

“You’re so quiet normally, why am I not surprised your a talker in bed?” Jared mused, pushing his fingers in hard and simultaneously taking hold of his son’s cock and giving it a few pumps in tandem with his fingers. “Oh That right, I saw your porn, you do seem keen on dirty talk. A thing for your ‘daddy’ right?”

The blunt statement made Jensen face burn with embarrassment but it wasn’t enough to stop him from coming with a choked gasp, his hips jerking weakly as his coated his stomach and Jared felt him clamp on his fingers deliciously. The wolf in him was watching just as keenly, the word ‘mate’ chanted over in the back of his mind, take, claim, mark, breed. Feral instincts were going round Jared’s brain in a way they never had before, not even with Jensen’s mother, his supposed mate. He hadn’t even fucked Jensen yet and he felt a thousand times more for him then he’d even felt for her.

Jared’s cock was pressed to his stomach and throbbing, reminding him of his own wants now what his son/mate was looked after. Jared’s eyes dropped from Jensen’s flushed face to where his fingers slid easily out of Jensen’s body.

Now or later didn’t particular matter he thought distantly, watching Jensen spread his thighs a touch and glancing up to see his pup looking back at him.

“Are you gonna make me beg?” Jensen challenged and Jared smirked, hand sliding along Jensen thighs deceptively gentle so Jensen didn’t expect Jared to grab his legs tightly and yanked him down closer to his father.

“I just might, would you ask nice? Call me daddy and everything?” Jared replied and watched Jensen flush but still to stubborn to look away, to submit.

“It’s dangerous,” he told his son as Jared pressed the head of his cock between Jensen’s spread thighs. “Good little boys submit to their alphas.”

“I doubt you want a pretty little submissive, you’ve always gone on and on about equality,” Jensen said quietly and Jared gave him a wolfish smile as he dropped his head and bit Jensen’s shoulder hard enough for him to cry out. So close to his neck, Jared was pleased to see his pup bare his throat on instinct, the ultimate submission.

“I do believe in equality, but I also believe in fucking like animals, as the saying goes.”

Jared took hold of his dick and pressed his tip along the slippery trail of slick leading to Jensen’s body. He felt the tight pucker resist momentarily before giving in and letting him in. The flash of pain in Jensen’s face made him go easy, only pushing a little ways in and licking over the red bite mark in apology.

“Trust me.”

“I do, still burns like hell though,” Jensen shot back and Jared huffed a laugh, feeling a well of affection for his smart mouthed pup. He dropped a kiss to Jensen brow and rested his weight on his elbows for better control as he pushed in a touch more and saw Jensen wince.

“Deep breaths, relax into it, you need to let me in,” Jared advised. “Breath out,” he said and when Jensen did so, Jared thrust in on the exhale. He wasn’t buried all the way but he didn’t need to be. His body was throbbing and the scent, taste, _feel_ of Jensen was driving him crazy, so he pulled back a bit and shoved back in, making sure he slid easily before he started pumping, feeling the heat of his son’s body.

When Jared looked down at Jensen again, the boy looked away now, submitting to his father as Jared thrust up into him. The feral thing in his brain was chanting again, faster, harder, deeper, rougher. Jensen was a werewolf after all so he could take it, take it all.

Jared caught one of Jensen’s legs and lifted it, pinned it to Jensen’s chest before bringing up the other as well, forcing Jensen into a jackknife position that gave Jared a spectacular view of his dick sinking into that pink little hole. It was stretched obscenely and gleamed with Jensen’s own slick as Jared pumped into him, slamming a deeper thrust just to make Jensen jump under him and give something between a whimper and hiss.

Jared sucked in a rough breath and changed his pace, shoving harder as Jensen cried out steadily, his hand reaching blinding and grabbing at Jared’s bicep, clinging as Jared leaned over him, pinned his pup in the awkward position, dominating him sexually as he fucked his boy good and hard.

“Gonna be sore for weeks, going to have to explain why your limping,” Jared grunted, reaching to card through Jensen hair and cup the back of his head, tipping it so Jensen was looking up at him.

His son’s face was stunning, he looked raw with his lips swollen from their kissing, parted slightly with sounds forced from him with each lunge of Jared’s hips. His eyes were downcast but the unnaturally golden hue was flashing.

“Look at me,” Jared commanded and Jensen obeyed, peering up at Jared as he dropped his own head to lightly bump his forehead with his sons. Jensen’s thighs were pressed to his chest and Jared was butted up against them, curled over Jensen, trapping him as he shoved callously, feeling the high of a climax coming as he pounded in. He started shoving as far as he could, burying the full length and watched Jensen bite each time he was opened up deeper then before.

“Did you expect it to be rough? Or did you think I’d be all sweet and delicate like a flower?”

“D-dunno,” Jensen gasped back, looking so pretty and young as he closed his eyes and his fingernails dug in Jared’s arm again. “L-Luna…” he gasped out with a sudden hitch and Jared watched him, fucked the pup through the second release and took his own when Jensen’s sweet body clamped down in his climax, the scent of come and Jensen’s arousal peeking pushing Jared over finally.

The throbbing kept up and for one long moment it didn’t occur to Jared to pull out. He was where he was meant to be. But then his brain kicked out the wolf’s thinking and Jared realized he was swelling up to knot. With a groan he moved finally, easing up and he become conscious he was soaked in sweat they both where and the sheets too. Damn, they must have gone longer then it seemed. Jensen gave a relaxed sound as he moved his legs from their cramped position, stretching them out on either side of Jared’s hips the second he had to the room too. Jared gave him a chuckle and pulled himself, feeling the bump of the knot give resistance as it tried to inflate and tie.

“Sorry,” Jared offered in warning before he took Jensen’s hips and gave a hard yank, the knot coming free as Jensen hissed in pain. It wasn’t that bad, the knot wasn’t swollen enough for it to really hurt but Jared still felt a bad for it.

“Why’d you pull out?” Jensen mumbled, his eyelids dropping already as Jared stretched out beside him.

“You want a litter already? ‘Cause I doubt you do,” Jared replied and Jensen blinked sleepily, already falling asleep on him. His pup had always been like that, taking a good hard run and then passing out immediately after. A little hard exercise and then a nap, was Jensen’s method, and it apparently applied to sex as well.

“You came in me,” Jensen accused and Jared shrugged. “Coming is one thing, knotting is another. The chances of you getting knocked up from that alone is nothing compared to being knotted.”

“I’d be happy to have your pups,” Jensen replied with a little yawn, turning onto his side and snuggling into Jared’s shoulder. He was near sleep enough that Jared was temping to leave him there in the wet spot but then Jensen might take chill. So Jared curled an arm around Jensen’s middle and rolled him over Jared, settling him on his other side, it was tight fit but the managed. Jensen didn’t question it, he just nuzzled in and found a comfortable spot.

“…dad?”

“hmmm?”

“I love you.”

“Me to Jen.”

 


	2. Chapter 2

“So what’s going on with you two?” Chad asked in lieu of a greeting the next morning, letting himself in the backdoor as Jared and Jensen both blinked up at him from the kitchen table.

“Who what now?” Jared shot back but his childhood friend rolled his eyes and snagged some left over bacon from the pan on the stove.

“Don’t bullshit me, Misha said something was up between you two and Chris said he noticed something funny too. So the packs all got an ear to the ground looking for the latest gossip.”

“…and you’re here to get the scoop.” Jared surmised and Chad shrugged, eating up the bacon and working on the sausage links. He was caught up in the smell of breakfast enough that he didn’t seem to notice that Jared and Jensen still carried a faint scent of sex, the shower unable to clear it all away and Jared refusing to use cleanser.

“The perk of being the alpha’s buddy, I get the good stuff first.”

“And people bribe you to hear it,” Jensen added with a snort. Jensen and Chad had a tendency to annoy each other but neither of them took it personally so Jared didn’t worry on it.

“Hey, if some old gossiper is willing to offer me a fresh pie or some recently cooked roast…” Chad trailed off with a shrug and Jensen rolled his eyes. The thing with Chad was he could be an asshole, but he never was about anything important. He did let people bribe him, but only his own pack and for things that were inconsequential, gossip for food being his main vice.

“There’s not much to tell…” Jared started but Chad’s look made him huff out.

“Fine, we had…a disagreement but now we’re fine.”

“Weak.”

“But the truth.”

“Don’t hold out me man, give me something good, something worthy of Ms. Collins _specialty_ rabbit stew.”

“Will you go away right now?” Jensen cut in, knowing full well Chad would hang around for hours to wheedle information out of Jared.

“Scouts honor,” Chad promised gleefully and Jensen got up and put his dish in the sink, turning on the tap to clean it.

“Fine, my dad thought I was hiding something and he totaled my room, ripped it all into little pieces-”

“I said I was sorry,” Jared injected weakly and Jensen gave him a dirty look.

“You’re not going to have to tell your teachers your dad ate your homework,” he grumbled and Jared shut up. “Anyway he found some Damper and got upset but we talked it through, it’s fine now so get out.”

“What!? No way, I need details, drama, specific arguments, why would you use that stuff in the first place?” Chad whined, missing the way Jensen’s back stiffened and Jared felt his own mirth dissipate. It was still way too raw for details.

“See you later Chad,” Jared dismissed and his friend read the undertone of his alpha’s command. Giving a mighty sigh Chad listened, throwing goodbyes over his shoulder as he left.

“…what happens now?” Jensen questioned quietly after Chad was gone and Jared shrugged, leaving the table to lean against the counter beside his pup.

“Now? We just focus on each other, the pack will catch up soon enough so we should enjoy the peace while it lasts,” Jared predicted giving Jensen his best reassuring smile and watching his son give a quiet one in return.

 

“What do you mean?” Jared asked the elders stupidly, even thought he knew exactly what they were saying. For one week he’d been in pure bliss, Jensen was the same pup he’d loved since forever but now his had these coy looks that drove Jared crazy. They slotted into mates so perfectly Jared was surprised it took this long for it to happen. For one week it had been perfect. But here he was now in what should have been an easy and quick meeting realizing his little heaven was crumbling.

“It’s not an acceptable mating,” Gloria explained, the four elders of Jared’s pack seated in the private conference room with him. As part of the process, he’d made a request for Jensen to be considered as a potential mate for him. It was only supposed to be a formality for Jared and he’d thought it was the same for the rest of the pack. If the elder’s didn’t approve of the union Jared couldn’t actually take Jensen as his mate but he never once expected anything but that approval.

“You’ve been pushing me for years to take a new mate, completely fine with me wanting it to be a love match over a political one but now you’re saying no go? Jensen is a perfect choice, he knows pack politics and he has an excellent standing in the pack.” He frowned and the elders shared silent looks as Gloria - the apparent spokesperson for the meeting - sighed.

“We’re glad you’re ready for a new mate, we really are,” she began, a soft smile gracing her worn features.

“But your own son? Humans have much more sway in pack politics then years before, and they’ve always frowned upon incest. The government won’t like this and thus the packs might not either. It’s traditional behaviors and most packs are trying to move away from that. Our reputation isn’t the best to begin with,” she explained and Jared blinked, leaning back in his seat. After the territory war the pack had gained a reputation for being vicious, it wasn’t a kind one but it was a strong one. Jared was viewed as a traditionalist werewolf for taking a political mate and then killing her and fighting an all out war rather then trying to talk it through, the way the old packs fought. In reality there were no options for talking after his mate’s infanticide and her packs approval of it. Still although he was an easygoing alpha he was still saw by the outside world as a stoic, traditionalist, leader. But the image proved to be useful so he kept it up. But now with his own omega pup as a mate it was another traditionalist move and not necessarily good thing to add to the packs reputation, a pack stuck in the passed wasn’t a positive thing. Not to mention that it was years after the war and the reputation as a powerful pack was losing sway the further back the fighting was. But he’d thought it wouldn’t be that huge of a deal to take Jensen as his mate. If anything the presence of a new omega-alpha should give them strength.

“We have strong ties, Jeff would never turn on our alliances, the other packs would hold to them as well. We have a good economy and more than enough territory to be comfortable. Having an omega-alpha is a good thing, my first mate was on and then my second, it would show power.” Jared finally replied but no one looked appeased by it.

“Jeff’s pack would stay at first but if we lost the alliances of the near by packs he might not have the choice, he’d have to follow consensus. The pack itself won’t like _her_ son taking power either, if Jensen wasn’t a omega maybe but because he is it makes him more powerful then a normal mate, the pack won’t like it, there’ll be fighting over it.”

Packs fell in two ways, from going to war with other packs over land or from collapsing within because of pack discord. Reputation was what kept good alliances and in turn kept other packs from trying to take over. Harmony in the pack was what kept infighting from destroying loyalties and it was established by a strong alpha that was accepted and approved of. They’d come perilously close to losing the war and it left scars, worries of pack stability was still rampant in everyone’s minds. Jared understood that and worked to sooth over-reactions all the time but he couldn’t figure out how Jensen being his mate worked into the notion so strongly that they’d fall apart. What he did see was that the elders were certain it would be a hard blow to both their reputation and pack harmony, too hard. It could just be empty over worried but then it could be a truth Jared was blind to.

“I’ll resign,” he stated and Gloria just shook her head.

“You’d damn us all, the pack would fall with the alpha suddenly gone and you’ve never trained a heir.”

“I expected Jensen’s mate to be, I figured I’d wait and teach them,” Jared groaned, rubbing his eyes as a headache suddenly formed, he’d thought he had decades before he resigned or the pack asked him too. In an emergency case Misha would be asked to step up but Jared knew it wasn’t something the other wolf wanted, not now, not ever. Misha was a good leader type but heavy responsibility stressed him out too much. Jared went through the pack but came up short; there was no one with the skills in leadership, compromise and responsibility that were needed to be able to take the pack over short notice.

“I always intended for Jensen to become omega-alpha.”

“Maybe in a decade or so it could have happened but right now with you?” Gloria shook her head again.

“You can train a heir now if you want, but it’ll be years before they’re ready for it. Openly claiming Jensen before that would be unacceptable.” Roger, the oldest of the werewolves in Jared’s pack acknowledged and Jared shot him a dark look.

“I’ve lived and breathed for this pack my whole life. When the alpha picked me I accepted because he said it was best for the pack, I took a mate for the pack politics, fought a war when I just wanted to be with my son and I spent my life pulled away from Jensen constantly to look after the pack. The one time I want something for myself and you say I can’t have it?”

“This isn’t something we’re happy to say Jared,” Gloria cut in, her voice genuinely apologetic but that did nothing to help him. “You’ve been so close to Jensen for so long it’s something we’ve almost expected really, we’ve watched how the pack took it, how outsiders reacted, how the media viewed it. If we thought for a second you and Jensen’s mating wouldn’t damage the pack do you honestly think we’d try and stop you from it?”

“I appreciate your concern, but I have to go and tell the only wolf I’ve ever loved as a mate that we’re too much of an inconvenience for the pack.”

 

“How was work?” Jensen asked lightly when Jared got home and he slumped on the door jam and just watched Jensen putter around the kitchen, dinner on the go. It was stupidly domestic and it made his heart ache where as before it would endeared him.

“Dad?” His pup asked, stopping to peer at Jared when he didn’t answer. “Is something wrong?”

“I’m just bone tired, someone thought it was a good time to drop miles of paperwork on me today,” Jared finally said and he forced a smile as he stepped in close and dropped a kiss to Jensen’s brow and peered in the stove to see what was cooking.

Jared had to either damn his pack or hurt his son and the idea of either one was unacceptable.

 

By the time they climbed into bed Jensen had long caught on that he was hiding something. Jared didn’t know if he hated or loved Jensen’s intellect when his pup curled into his side and quietly asked if the pack didn’t want him as Jared’s mate, putting it all together himself.

“They’re worried it’ll damage our reputation beyond saving,” Jared explained, one arm curled around Jensen’s shoulders as he repeated the conversation back, Jensen silent the entire time, just taking it in.

“So what happens?” He asked a short while after Jared stopped talking and the older wolf hugged his son tightly.

“Hell if I know. Giving you up…I can’t just not feel this now,” Jared said, resting his chin on Jensen’s head and dropping his arm Jensen’s waist. The intimacy between them was charged, the sexuality clear. “It’s not even an option, the pull I feel for you is amazing Jen, what was between me and your mom was nothing compared to this.”

Jensen made a little sound and curled in closer, pressing every inch he could to Jared.

“But you’re the alpha and you can’t just walk away from that,” Jensen surmised and Jared just nodded, clinging to his pup as hard as Jensen did to him.

 

Jensen was an intellect.

He would wrack his brain for the answers and throughout his life he’d been invested in pack politics as much as Jared, always doing his best to help coming up with solutions and ideas. It was why Jared had intended to let Jensen’s mate inherit. Jensen wasn’t assertive or aggressive enough to be alpha himself but he would make one hell of a mate for one. What more, his mate would be involved with the pack as well, Jared just never saw Jensen taking a mate who wasn’t, it mattered too much to his pup. The mate of the pack alpha was given the title of alpha, regardless if they were an actual biological alpha or beta. As a rare omega Jensen would take the title of omega-alpha, an honored title, a powerful one.

But now Jared watched helplessly as Jensen tried to find the answer, searched and struggled and always came around to the same frustrating dead end that Jared did. It killed him to see Jensen so miserable, to see him try to act cheerful when neither of them felt it. Dampener and cleanser bottles sat in the shower stall and Jared hated seeing them. Every inch of his wanted to throw them out, to walk away from the bullshit of the situation. But the pack needed him and taking a mate against the pack elder’s approval was akin to breaking a major law; it would damn the pack and invite attacks. Jared had no choice but to wash the scent of his son off of him and he hated himself for it.

The pack picked up on the tension quickly, Jared’s normally endless patience was clipped and he avoided his pack members when he could. He was in a bad place and as an alpha he needed to move from it but a selfish angry part of him wanted to sit there and stir moodily. Jared wondered idly if maybe the pack would remove him for being unfit before he could even train the next alpha and then he felt like shit for hoping it. He’d looked after these people for decades and they deserved better. Jared just wasn’t sure he could give it anymore.

 

Breeding season was near mid-winter. Werewolf alphas and betas could conceive in either form but only one pup would come from it, on a rare occasion twins. Omegas could also conceive in either form but would have a litter, from a single pup all the way to a full litter of twelve. Normally though omegas had somewhere in-between, Alexis had a healthy pregnancy and she’d had five pups. But regardless if it was a single pup or a full litter, werewolves carried for three months be it alpha, beta, or omega. It was a weird reminisce of their wolf heritage that crossed over, similar to knotting. Jared didn’t linger on the biology of it though. The worst of winter was over and the weather was mild, which factored into a better chance of conception. Despite centuries of domestic life, those sorts of things played a role in so Jared had to take interest in them because the pack cared about it. This season Jared threw himself into it more then usual, simultaneously trying to distract himself from the situation he and Jensen where trapped in and also trying to make it up to the pack. The last few weeks he’d been on edge and snappy with everyone, but it wasn’t the packs fault, not really. Besides they didn’t even know about it so taking it out them just seemed low of him.

“Weather maps?” Jensen said with a quirk of humor when he looked at what Jared was puzzling over. Too big maps lay out all over their kitchen table. “Leave it to the weather man, you’ll just confuse yourself and the pack,” Jensen teased and Jared huffed but couldn’t really argue, the lines on the paper meant nothing to him and he couldn’t get them too.

“You packed?” He asked instead, his nerves feeling bunched up and tense already.

“Yup, it’ll be good for us,” Jensen offered but didn’t seem to believe himself. The quiet note that came into his tone whenever their hidden relationship came up was present and Jared hated hearing it. “It’s only two weeks really, I’ve done it before, we’ve done it without any trouble.”

“That was before, it’ll be different now, you’ll might find yourself wanting to seek me out,” Jared replied, looking down at the maps and feeling the light air between them steadily decline.

“I won’t be alone and you won’t be alone, if we chose to run with them, no one will let either of us cross the borders and they won’t know who were trying to get to either.”

“I hate this so much, Jen, Fuck I love you and everyone should know that,” the frustration in his voice came clear and Jared leaned heavily on the counter, hating that his life had become a bad romance novel with a shitty ending.

“We can do this.” Jensen assured him, moving closer to give Jared a loose hug. They’d never actually talked about it, but by some unspoken agreement Jared was looking to train someone to replace him and they’d have to hide until then.

“Says the one who’ll be all snug as a bug in a nice warm house with blankets and heaps of chocolate,” He finally grumbled, trying to make the atmosphere light again, unwilling to let it ruin what should be good between them.

“Please, we both know given the choice between the finest delicacy cooking and a rabbit that’s blood is still warm you wouldn’t even have to think about it.”

“Wolf’s gotta eat,” Jared laughed but wrapped his arms around Jensen’s body and pulled him closer, his scent sweet and temping but more importantly comforting.

“Wanna do it on the kitchen table? I don’t think we’ve done it there yet.”

“Heathen,” Jensen mocked but when Jared cupped the back of his thighs, Jensen jumped up easily, legs curling around Jared’s hips as the omega’s scent went lustful.

 

For the next few weeks the pack dissolved, splintering into three territories that where strictly guarded. It was dived by those pairs who wanted to try for a pup, the betas and omegas in heat, and the alphas. It changed each year who went where, this year the betas and omegas - well omega really - got to stay in the comforts of the town. The other two groups went to other ends of the territories.

Jared gave up being pack alpha for the span, the wolves were free to do as they pleased as long as they stayed put in the territories. It had never been much of an issue; the instinct to mate was a lot easier to control if they weren’t wolves in heat around, likewise for the betas and omega without an alphas near by. Biology prevented betas and omegas from being able to conceive together but there had always been rumors of sexy times going on among the betas, the equivalent of college girls in skimpy panties having pillow fights.

That just gave Jared the image of Jensen in panties and he shook his head and whined. It was hard to fight the urge to go to him. The wolf didn’t have much patience for politics and if he wanted his own pup as his mate he’d have him. But there was enough higher conscious to a werewolf that Jared knew he couldn’t. So instead he got up and stretched his legs out before he ran the length of the territory back and forth until he was sore and tired, his paws throbbing.

Somewhere along his third or forth circle around his brother joined him. Jared’s parents had tried each year for pups, hoping for a son and daughter when they first started. What they got was five sons and a tomboy daughter, all alphas. Three of Jared’s siblings were with their mates, trying for pups while the other two were with the alphas. Families usually stayed close to one another during the isolation and his family was no different. It was the forth day in and he’d spend his time hunting and running with his brothers and father. With a busy life Jared didn’t see them as much as he’d like to and it was good for them to have this time together. He tried to focus on that rather then his secret mate, tucked away from him and hopefully missing him as bad as he missed Jensen.

He snapped at his brother’s – Sam’s - legs as they ran playfully and the two tussled lightly. But even over their mock snarls Jared heard his son’s distant cry. The play stopped and both listened ears cocked. Jensen howled again, wanting Jared to come to him and he didn’t sound like he was where the betas were supposed to be. With a quick reply to tell him he was coming Jared took off. The other wolves were howling now, singing back and forth to make sure everything was all right. Jensen’s voice was among them, weaker then most but there, assuring he was fine, nothing was wrong. Still Jared didn’t slow until he saw the brown coat of his son/mate. Jensen was waiting for him, settled just along the borders where the alphas weren’t supposed to pass. He looked fine as he claimed, panting a little but otherwise completely ok. Despite that fact he was supposed to give up his status the other wolves knew damn well he was alpha and so no one came to make sure he was staying within the borders. Jared nearly bowled Jensen over in his enthusiasm, scenting his pup and making sure he was really ok.

Jensen whined but allowed it, circling Jared and nipping at him happily, it had only been a handful of days but still Jensen clearly missed Jared as much as he did his pup. It made him feel less of an obsessive mate that Jensen was in the same state. With health as his main focus it took Jared’s nose a moment to realize Jensen smelt normal. The sweet whisper of almost heat was there but not in fruition.

Jensen wasn’t in heat.

Jared gave a startled whine and Jensen answered, ears going back on his head as he lowered his body to the dirt and let Jared scent him again, pressing his nose under Jensen’s tail and finding no hint of heat.

Not going into heat meant two things, either Jensen was too stressed or unhealthy to go through estrus or he was already pregnant. Either one was viable, Jensen was stressed out badly by what they were going through and his body could have reacted to it. Or by sheer chance they’d conceived outside of the breeding season without Jared ever knotting Jensen. It was rare but it wasn’t unheard of and he’d come in Jensen plenty of times during sex, just never settling the knot in for a proper breeding.

They’d have to wait until after the season to check with the healer.

Or at least Jared thought so until Jensen was leading him, showing him a grocery bag he must have brought and turning into his human form. Jared followed suit and pulled Jensen into his lap giving him a tight hug.

“You ok?”

“Fine, it was weird not to go into heat with the others though, I’m usually the first one to start so I knew something was going on right away but I waited until it was clear it wasn’t going to happen,” Jensen explained as he dug through the bag and pulled out three little boxes.

“Pregnancy tests?”

“Grandma said it happened before to her, that her and your dad used these to figure it out.”

Jared just nodded dumbly; he knew the story, his fourth brother, Justin, had been an unplanned pup.

“They wanted me to stay there but I insisted on coming for you, they thought I might try to find… the father. I didn’t know what to say… so I just told them I wanted to see you.” Jensen shrugged and Jared tightened his grip, he could hear how unhappy it made Jensen that he couldn’t just say it outright that Jared would be the sire if he was with a litter.

“No, it’s fine. I mean I’m sorry you couldn’t just say it, but I’m glad... I’m just happy you wanted me to be a part of this, ‘cause I want to,” he fumbled to explain, feeling breathless and high on a mere possibility, even their hidden relationship couldn’t dampen the idea of a family. Even though it was far to early to tell, Jared thought he could detect the subtle hint of pregnancy on Jensen’s scent.

“You want to be part of me peeing on sticks? Sounds like you,” Jensen said with a smile but Jared could see the strain in it, the nervousness all around his son.

“It’ll be ok, either way you don’t have to worry Jen-”

“I’m not. I’m…I just…I think I’ll be disappointed if I’m not,” he admitted, looking embarrassed at the idea he wanted to have pups with Jared already.

“You’re way more mature than I am, you’ll make a great mother,” Jared agreed, the back of his mind thinking that they could still try this season, even if Jensen wasn’t in heat, knotting sex could conceive them a family.

But it was an unnecessary thought, the tests all showed positive.

Jensen was pregnant.

 

After the breeding season was finished they went straight to the healer and a blood test later Jensen was confirmed without a doubt pregnant.

It killed Jared that he couldn’t claim them, the more he thought about it the more he realized that he couldn’t keep hiding. It was ruining this for them, making what should have been a joyful time something more subdued. Telling the pack had to be carefully considered, should someone else step up and claim the pups or should Jensen just never name the father? The idea of either option left a foul taste in Jared’s mouth. He’d never been overly possessive –ok, a lie - but he couldn’t just stand by while his son/mate went through pregnancy and had his children without telling anyone, without proudly claiming them. Jared hadn’t discussed it with Jensen yet but he was going to have to step down as alpha. He loved his pack, wanted nothing but the best for them but if he had to make this choice, Jensen would win, he’d always win and Jared saw that now. They’d leave and start a new life, raise their family without hiding.

Jared called Chad and arranged to go into the city with him. He’d already called a company within the city that helped werewolves who left their packs, looking for options where he could take his son/mate and pups. Plus he wanted the brochures and listings to give to Jensen when he told him, the more facts he had the more his son would accept it he hoped.

“Why? You can go drink at the Waggin’ Tail,” Jensen grumbled when he found out, in a quietly hurt voice so Jared pulled Jensen into his lap. They sat together on the couch in their living room and he snuggled his pup in reassuringly, his hands cupped Jensen’s belly and idly rubbed where his pups were growing.

The knowledge of his choice was freeing and he wanted to share that with Jensen, but for once he wanted to take care of his pup. Jensen would take over once he knew, start making calls and gathering facts and Jared wanted to do some of that for him first. Maybe it was some instinct to provide coming over from the wolf, Jensen was his mate and carrying his young now; it was time for Jared to show he would be a good provider for them all.

“I need to get drunk in a place where I don’t have to watch what I say. I’m not out to find some hook up or anything. I just want to go to a bar where no one knows me and drink myself under the table.” Jared explained and Jensen frowned at him but didn’t argue. Jared wasn’t one to drink much so he figured Jensen would let him get away with it. “I wanna escape the pack, even for a night.” It was one of the first times Jared had ever felt he needed to and he wasn’t sure how to take it but maybe it was a sign he was making the right choice?

Jensen wasn’t exactly happy about it but he didn’t fight the plan, just watched Jared get ready the following night. When he leaned in to give him a quick kiss goodbye, Jensen turned into a filthy lustful thing. His hands cupping Jared’s head and his nails digging in a touch while he licked the inside of Jared’s mouth, his skills notably better from their first time together. The nail thing got Jared going, Jensen always scratched when he was feeling really randy.

“If you cheat on me I’ll never forgive you.”

Jared huffed out a laugh and pressed his own hungry kiss on his son, using every trick he had up his sleeve to leave Jensen panting with his pupils blown.

“All you got is never forgive me? Jensen if you ever let someone else touch you I’d make you watch while I tore out their throat.”

“Romantic,” Jensen huffed and Jared gave him a quiet smirk, bumping their foreheads together.

“I love you Jen, no matter what happens with all this pack stuff, I love you. I knocked you up and everything.”

“Go get shit-faced drunk you idiot, and then come back and pass out on the kitchen floor already.”

“I’ll be back at an inappropriate time, you staying here?”

“Yeah, I’m gonna have a few friends over for an orgy then I’ll turn in for the night.”

“Throats. While you watch.” Jared reminded before he gave in to Chad’s obnoxious car honking.

 

“I’m glad you decided you wanted to go out, you’ve been a real emo bitch lately, some tail will do you good,” Chad announced instead of a greeting and Jared just got in the car and slumped into the passenger seat.

“Yeah about that, not going out for a hook up, I just want to have a drink without the pack’s scrutiny,” Jared explained and his friend started in on the dangerous of chastity. Jared let him bitch the drive down; Chad needed to feel like he did his best to convince you before he’d drop an issue in his experience. Sure enough, by the time they got there the other wolf had accepted it and they settled in at the bar, Jared ignoring the appreciative looks.

“You don’t have to wallow with me,” he told Chad a few hours in, when more then a few girls where good to go and Chad mournfully turned them down.

“Yeah I do, it’s bro code or something. Either way I need to keep an eye on you or Jensen would kill me.”

“And…?” Jared prodded; he could just hear something else in his friend’s voice, a question just waiting for a chance to be asked.

Chad was never one to disappoint.

“Rumor has it you and the elders had it in,” he said with a raised brow and Jared threw back his whiskey and motioned for another from the bartender as it burned down his throat.

“People are pretty divided about why but there is a pretty big following for the notion that you picked an unsuitable mate,” there was a sort of inquiry in his tone, but Jared could tell Chad knew the answers already, he was just confirming them. Maybe that was why he and Jensen snipped at each other so much, they were both far cleverer then they acted.

“Years of bitching to get me to and then it’s a no go. They’ve backed me for years, trusted me in thick and thin but in the end they fuck me over big time,” Jared grumbled glaring at his empty glass until a filled one was offered in it’s place.

“Damn. Most theories are spun around you wanting to mate a human or something but I know you. There’s a reason Jensen’s moping just as bad,” the second Chad said it something possessive and nasty welled in Jared. The wolf clenched his teeth and Jared’s hand shot out to grab Chad’s arm, squeezing tightly. That was his mate, the young innocent wolf that was carrying his pups, was his own pup.

“I don’t care what you say about me, but you leave him out of this shit,” he growled, people and wolves around him stopping. The air of danger clear to everyone as the gold hue shined in his eyes, the darkness of the bar emphasizing it.

“Calm down, like I’d do something like that. Jensen’s a brat but he’s your brat,” Chad shot back quickly but he kept his gaze down, tilted his head a touch so Jared could see the line of his jugular. After a breath, Jared let him go and turned back to his drink, the conversations around them starting up again after a beat.

“So the elders said no go, too bad so sad?”

“Plus they told me if I resigned the pack would crumble and it’d be on my hands,” Jared added and Chad gave a few choice curses that he concurred with.

“Manipulative bastards.”

“Pretty much. So now I get to go about my duty as alpha silently resenting it _and_ I get to watch Jensen’s heart break a little more everyday, I felt like if we got through me training a heir we’d have to leave the pack at the end of it anyway. Neither of us would want to be there.”

“…that’s some fucked up shit. Jesus, I didn’t realize it was that intense.”

“It’s Jensen. When am I ever half-assed about anything with Jensen?”

“Point.” Chad agreed and ordered himself something stronger then what he’d been drinking all night.

“The messed up thing… I love him, will all I’ve got. Way more then anyone else before,” Jared waved his hand in dismissal of every relationship before. “But even when were at home and we can be together in private…it’s still there, hanging over us, it makes it less… or not less but darker. I’m in love, head over heels in rainbow and puppies love,” Jared shot his best friend a sad smile. “But it’s tainted, because I have to hide it, because someone else doesn’t like it.”

“Fuck. So what’s the plan?” Chad questioned, calm as can be and ready to accept whatever Jared wanted of him. He’d been loyal through and through over the years and Jared was going to miss him.

“Things have changed,” Jared begin and Chad nodded, cutting in. “Jensen’s pregnant right?”

“How did-”

“Most of the pack is thinking it. Jensen didn’t go into heat this year and right after that you got even more protective – I didn’t think it was possible,” Chad snorted.

“But I saw Jensen a few days ago, in your kitchen touching his stomach like I’ve seen pregnant beta’s do. I put it together then, the rest of the pack will eventually too. They’ll realize who it is the elders denied you the right to mate as well. There’s no way to guess how this will fall, but it’ll have impact for certain.”

“It won’t matter, I don’t intend to stay,” Jared admitted and watched his friend freeze up.

“You’re not serious.”

“The elders gave me a choice, the pack or Jensen. You can’t be surprised who I picked.”

“Well yeah, but fuck, this is overkill! The pack won’t crumble because you’re banging your kid. They’ll bitch and whine but they’ll get over it, the elders are in the wrong here, you hauled our butts through a fucking war Jared, the pack hasn’t forgotten that.” While he spoke Chad gestured wildly, his expression infuriated.

“It doesn’t matter. I’m going to see the elders on Monday, I’ll explain it and if they refuse to accept Jensen I’ll walk away. If I try to stay and go public it put Jensen in danger, some dumb pack member might try to hurt him to make the mess go away or the elders will report me to the government, some outside pack might attack. Either way it’s a hassle I’m not putting Jensen through it.”

“You won’t have to, the elders will back down, there no way their dumb enough to let you leave. There isn’t anyone in this pack who’d be a better or even equal alpha,” Chad said with the utmost confidence and Jared gave him a weak smile, touched by his livid friend’s trust in him.

“Man,” Chad huffed, the fight in him slinking out as he drained his drink and calmed down. “Look at you, all ‘I pick my love over my pack’ right out of a trashy romance novel, you should write the next ‘Twilight’.”

 

Jared was unapologetic that he drank half the bar, werewolf tolerance was high with their metabolism but if a wolf drank enough hard liquor it’d get to them. Chad was less bitchy then usual about having to help him walk; he even paid the huge taxi fee home with little complaint. Normally it was the other way around but Chad handled being the more sober of the two surprisingly well. They stopped and picked up the info packets Jared had wanted, though Chad swore up and down he’d never need them.

Chad was smaller then Jared and he took a sort of drunken perverse pleasure in dropping all his weight against the other wolf randomly just to make him stagger and swear as he hefted Jared up each step to his house. The lights were out and Jensen had to be in bed but Jared knew he was awake. Jensen never slept when Jared was out, he’d long learned to come home after sex rather then spending the night in the hotel.

“God, you huge fuck,” Chad hissed and Jared laughed as they both went for the doorknob and Jared just flailed uselessly until Chad managed to get it open.

“I just wanna drop your ass right here and go home.”

“Can’t. Best bud.”

“I hope Jensen’s pissed at you for this, nothing makes me feel better then seeing you get whipped by him.”

“Jensen,” Jared sighed out, his voice holding a dreamy quality as he leaned against the wall for supposed and peered around the dark house, looking for Jensen’s heartbeat or quiet breathing. He wanted to cuddle into Jensen’s warmth and tell him and the pups they where moving.

“Jensen!”

“Geeze, shut up idiot, it’s like four in the morning,” Chad groused but Jared just grinned and waited for his son turned mate to come down the stairs and boss him around. Jared always got sass from his pup when he was drunk; he kinda liked it and was curious to see how sex would factor in.

“Jennnnnsen,” he sank out again and his smirk faded when no answer came, no footsteps or squeak of the bedsprings.

“Jensen!” Jared called a third time, voice strong and loud with a command to it and when no answer replied immediately everything humorous in Jared died. He shifted right then, his clothing got caught but he was instantly sober, the shift did that. Chad grumbled but helped him yank off his clothing and once free Jared dashed up the stairs to the bedrooms. By the time he reached the top of the stairs he knew Jensen wasn’t in the house. Downstairs he could hear Chad talking to Jared’s parents on his cell, asking if Jensen was there after apologizing for waking them up. Jared’s ears perked, the only place Jensen could ever possibly be was at their house. When he heard his mother’s worried voice say he wasn’t Jared threw his head back and howled. His chest rose as he let out an ear-piercing cry, calling for his pup. Once he finished he paused, ear poised high waiting for his son answer from somewhere in the town, maybe on a night run to the convince store or something. Maybe he developed cravings already, that happened in pregnancy Jared assured himself.

He dashed from the house and let a fretful whine out as he looked down the dark streets, as if Jensen would just appear on a corner. Lights in the neighboring house were coming on but Jared ignored them in favor of howling again, harder now and with an alarm to it, calling on whoever would be patrolling the forests nightshift. They answered immediately, all clear and safe but no sign of Jensen. Panic welled now and Jared took off, running the length of the town and howling and whining with each spare breath, hoping somehow Jensen would just appear.

It was like a nightmare come true, he’d found his perfect mate and they were going to start a family soon and then it was all gone. A repeat of Jared’s first mating but a thousand times worse because he loved Jensen with everything he had.

Other wolves were coming out, talking worriedly and many shifting and taking up the wild hunt for a missing pack member. Jensen scent was all over the town, it always was, he made a point to be social with the pack, he knew everyone and everyone knew him.

Just before Jared moved to check Jensen’s favorite places up in the forest he caught wind of worried conversation and tuned into it. Two other pups weren’t present, each one supposed to be sleeping over at the others. It was a planned disappearance clearly but the parents stood out to him and Jared tried to place them.

He felt cold dread take him when he did.

When Alexis’ pack fell they drove out all the remaining werewolves with only two acceptations. A den had been deserted or the mother killed, either way two freshly orphaned pups were found. Shannon and Claire were both female alphas and unable to breed, Stephen and Sara where unable to have their own kids because Sara was barren. Jared had allowed each couple to take in one of the pups to raise them as their own. Now those four wolves stood in a huddle talking about their absent pups.

The three wolves missing were the three from the fallen pack.

Jared threw his had back and cried out a high alarm and lock down.

 

It took two hours to find and track the most recent scents of the three pups and it ended as bad as Jared feared. On the edge of the territory Jensen and the two pups had met strange wolves, the dirt showed a struggle and then the scents left the borders of the pack. None of the pups would have ever left the safety of the pack land; even the wildest pup never did something so dangerous, alliance or not most packs would attack and even kill a trespasser.

Danneel Harris was the pack alpha of the wolves across the border and Jared had alliances with her, she’d been happy when Jared took over the lands of the previous pack. They’d been constantly fighting on her side as well so a treaty had been made and kept easily over the years. Now her pack patrol paced nervously and gave warning cries as Jared and his own wolves pressed the territory.

Jared wanted to just shove passed, to ignore pack protocol and rush after his son’s scent but the other pack would attack for it. So Jared was forced to call to Danneel, he wasn’t sure if she’d allow it but Jared asked for permission to cross her land for an emergency. If she refused Jared knew they’d have to kill the patrol, there was no way Jared was not going after his son/mate. Jared knew he was out of control, barely keeping it together but Jensen and their unborn pups were out there somewhere, taken from him and he’d kill every and anyone to get them back.

Thankfully Danneel answered with a positive and her wolves even showed him where the trail went, helped him follow the scent of the intruders who had snuck onto their land at some point. Misha, Chad, and two of their best hunters were with him, they’d go with him while the rest of the pack bunkered down and prepared to defend itself. It was a standard procedure that Misha had put in place for emergencies, so the pack would never be caught off guard again and if they were they’d know what to do.

Four wolves.

Jared could pick out four unknown wolves, the two pups, and Jensen. The trail went on forever it seemed, signs of more scuffling, smears of blood that Jared was terrified was Jensen’s and the trail of wolves being forced where they didn’t want to go. Jared wanted to panic all out but he shoved it down hard, it could come only _after_ Jensen was found.

The trail left Danneel’s territory and into another, this pack Jared didn’t know but Danneel or his own pack had contacted them already because hunters waited for them, showing them the trail they’d found. No one liked trespassers on their land so hopefully the packs would let Jared and his track the strangers down and dispose of them for the packs.

The followed the weak scents throughout the day, pausing for breaks that Jared paced through, unable to sit still, eat, or shift back into a human.

The trail went cold.

It ended at a major highway, they must have gotten into a vehicle and there was no way to track that, thousands of cars passed the highway and mixed too much to pick one out from the other. Jared paced the roadside, looking desperately for a scent he wasn’t going to find. The anxiety was climbing dangerously and he tried to ignore it, tried to think of a way to keep hunting, to find Jensen.

 

“Alpha,” Misha called, human with a cell phone in his hand. “The pack went through Ryan and June’s e-mails,” the other two missing pups. Not important though, not as important as Jensen, Jensen, _Jensen_.

“They found someone contacted them, spoke back and forth with them both for months on end. Said they were old pack family members and just wanted to talk. A similar e-mail was found in Jensen’s e-mails,” Jared paused in his pacing; there was no way Jensen would have.

“Your son seemed to ignore the attempts at contact and then blocked the e-mail address,” Misha confirmed and Jared felt pride as he looked back at the highway and whined for his pup. “We’re trying to track the e-mail address down, we’ve also sent out replies to them, explained that if they let the pups go and just run they might get away, we’ve agreed to any ransom as well.”

Jared panted, stressed to his limit, but agreed with the move; whatever lured them in was all that mattered. Once they were in the packs hold they’d be killed, Misha knew it as well as Jared, but anything would be said or done to bait them in.

“From their direction, I’m guessing they’re trying to get outside the territories of packs we have alliances with or have alliances with packs who have alliances with them.”

It made sense, after they reached far enough the werewolf packs would refuse to let them pass through. They were territorial in nature and Jared knew it was luck they’d gotten this far unhindered.

“With that logic, they’ll have gone north now, south on this highway goes back into Jeff’s territory.” Jared had never been so glad for Misha at his side, the older wolf was quirky but by far the best tracker of the whole pack.

Jared’s paws dug into he pavement as he pressed north immediately, his wolves had been resting but took after him. It was well passed midday now and Jared knew his body couldn’t handle much more running. It was still winter and the cold was starting to seep into his tired muscles. But once he couldn’t run anymore they’d drive, either way they would follow relentlessly. Jensen was going to be found, there was no other option.

 

Dusk was starting to fall when they passed through a small town, Jared’s wolves were exhausted now and Jared’s own legs were going numb. The winter weather had been blissfully mild and the further south they went the warmer it was but there was still snow and his paws were frostbitten. They moved along the town and people watched with wide eyes, plenty of them recording with their phones. It was rare to see werewolves in their wolf form in the city, it was illegal actually but Jared didn’t have time for that crap.

The highway divided in two ways frustratingly and Jared whined as he looked for a scent automatically, as if there would be one to tell him where he son/mate was. A small gas station was on the edge of down and people watched them with wide eyes and fear in their stench.

Misha shifted and Jared watched him approach a man filling up his truck. Without hesitation Misha tried to buy his vehicle, explaining tightly that pups had been taken and they need to follow. The human shook his head, looked near panic with a pointless fear and upset with Misha’s nudity, it aggravated Jared. Jensen was out there somewhere, they needed to find him and some idiot was being an asshole, Misha was offering him far more then the truck was worth. The wolf in him was snarling angrily, just take it, make him give it up, his mate and pups were in danger.

“You can take mine,” someone else said before the wolf could convince Jared to do something stupid. An older woman stood across the gas pump beside a suv, her keys held out nervously.

“To find your kids…just try and bring it back to me?” She requested weakly and Jared turned away from the conversation as Misha thanked her. There were three wolves from the other pack still with them, they’d run far less then Jared’s wolves and he directed them down one fork in the road before he padded over to the suv. Chad came from the gas station building in human form with bottles of water clutched to his chest and a tourist sweater pulled down over his nude form. It could have been funny but Jared didn’t feel it. He just hoped into the back of the vehicle that smelt of the woman and her family, of her pups probably safe and sound.

“Can you shift?” Chad asked once they were moving and Jared shook his head, he was beyond emotionally unstable; the concentration needed to be human was out of the question. “Well find them, you’re famous for loving that kid, no wolf is going to be stupid enough to hurt him.”

Jared didn’t respond to the attempted comfort, just thought back on the blood they’d found and prayed it wasn’t his son/mates. Jensen’s scent wasn’t showing his pregnancy yet so his abductors wouldn’t know. Jared couldn’t decide if it was a good thing or not. They might hurt Jensen and the pups intentionally if they knew, but then they might be rough with him if they didn’t know and still hurt the unborn pups.

Driving was nerve wracking for his wolf instincts, what if they missed a scent somewhere along the road? Human thought would have been clearer but Jared’s wolf mind was in the forefront and the motion of the vehicle felt wrong. He wanted to be running, even if his legs burned from the strain.

Misha was riding shotgun and making call after call on a cell Jared had no clue where he got. He was alerting pack after pack, the media, checking in at home and calling packs they had alliances with. He offered rewards and promises of all sorts of wonderful things to packs that would let them cross if they needed and even more if they caught the kidnappers. Jared couldn’t even turn human and Misha was running everything smooth as you please, Jared wondered if maybe he’d been wrong about the other wolf’s ability to take over as alpha.

“Stop,” Misha suddenly hissed and the suv took to the ditch. “Turn here, we have to cross back the other highway, the Normandy pack wolves found June. Alive.”

 

It was the longest ride in Jared’s life and he bolted from the vehicle the moment the door was opened. June was with the wolves, two turned and a car pulled over, a human watching worriedly as June was curled in a blanket from their car. Jared ignored it all and zoned in on the pup alone. She had road rash on her face and arm, her leg looked broken as well. It was clear she’d fallen or jumped from a moving vehicle. When she saw him, Jared could plainly see her fight to stay human, it showed her inter strength that she managed it.

“Alpha, I‘m sorry, this is all my fault, I did this, I’m so sorry. Jensen didn’t even want to go, I made him, made him come along because I knew he would if he felt like he had to-”

“You can apologize later,” Chad cut in not unkindly but firmly before Jared even had the chance to snarl at her in impatience. “The facts, now. Where they went, what they were in,” he explained, kneeling to hug the girl and she clung to him tightly at once.

“A U-haul truck, two wolves in the front and two in the back with us. They met us at the territory and forced us to go with them, Jensen fought them and they dragged him most of the way, I was too sacred, Ryan too, we just…w-went.”

The blood from before was probably Jensen’s then.

“They’re nuts, they want to restart the pack, figured they could use me and Jensen to- they were sick,” she whimpered and Jared whined devastatingly at what she was suggesting. The fears in him twisting excruciatingly into something far worse as unwanted images filled his thoughts. They’d force a miscarriage on Jensen for certain, making him lose their pups so they could put their own in him. Use him like a broad mare, Jensen fighting it, screaming while they held him down, forced his legs open-

Jared shook his head violently, whining as he pawed at his head trying to make the images stop, hating each one.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” Chad chanted with feeling.

“They never said where they were going specifically, but they wanted to get away from packs that would help you track them, to where no one would care they said.”

“They’ll end up going south, passed the US border. Mexico’s werewolf law is pathetically slack,” one of the outside wolves pointed out and Misha nodded taking in the information with a focus Jared envied. Another wolf of Jared’s pack, Mark, shifted to a wolf and pressed in on June’s other side. Wolves were social and sought touch for comfort and June’s fingers buried in his coat tightly.

“What happened, how did you get away?” Misha prodded and June sniffed and shivered. Jared could see her struggling to keep her form human, her words needed.

“One of them kept groping Jensen, he fought them like crazy, called them every name and told them he’d kill them.”

Jared whined painfully.

“The ties they had on his wrist gave and he pretty much tore the guy’s throat out with his bare hands. I doubt he lived, he was bleeding everywhere and the wound wasn’t closing… If Jensen… If he didn’t try to help us he’d have gotten away himself. But he tried to get us free and the other wolf that was sleeping woke up. They fought-” she broke off with a little sob and Jared tried to be patient with her, she was just a child unused to violence. He moved in and pressed his muzzle to her shoulder, the pup immediately gave up Chad to latch onto her alpha.

“I never knew he had it in him, he fought like nothing I’ve seen before, but the other wolf- he was stronger and older, still Jensen fucked up his face and he couldn’t see for a bit. The back latch- it was opened up in the fight and Jensen pushed me out, he went back for Ryan and the other wolf pinned him, they drove out sight before I could see anything else...I’m sorry alpha, I’m so sorry, I know how much you love him,” June sobbed into his fur and Jared let his cling and nipped at her hair lightly, feeling no resentment or anger for the pup. Her human form gave way and Jared let the shaking wolf curl up close with him.

“Jensen’s pregnant.” Chad suddenly announced, face white as he rubbed it tiredly. “He’s pregnant with the alpha’s pups.”

The group came to a stand still for a split second and the June burst into pitiful wining begging Jared for forgiveness.

“If the kids knew that they’d have insisted Jensen leave them, we need to all be on the level here, they have the alpha’s pregnant mate.”

“I’ll make some calls, find the right highways and try to get clearance to follow them from other packs. Mark will take June back home?” Misha finally announced and Jared shook his head, motioning to Chad. Mark was stronger than Chad and if they need to fight Jared wanted him. His best friend accepted it without a word; he pet June’s fur and coaxed her from Jared to his own side.

“We’ll be home in no time, your moms are worried sick,” he said kindly to her and June curled against him.

“Good we can-” Misha cut off when his cell went and he answered it immediately. Jared busied himself with calming June until Misha’s tone took on a strange edge.

“Where?... When?... How many dead? …But how many bodies?”

_No._

“We’ll be there right away,” Misha said and hung up, turning to Jared with a strange impassiveness forced on his face. “A U-hual was found about an hour ahead, crashed, werewolves, all dead but no number of bodies.”

Dead.

It was impossible. Jared felt something in him drop out and he whined and clawed pointlessly at the ground. There was no way…

“It makes sense, Jensen wouldn’t stay near them, he’d run,” Chad suddenly said, his arm reaching out to grab Jared’s fur, making him listen before full blown panic could take over. “He’d run Jared, Jensen would take Ryan and run.”

 

Everything felt numb, Jared wasn’t even sure what happened to June, but Chad came with him, got him into the suv again and talked to him the entire time even though Jared didn’t hear a word of it. What if Jensen was dead? What if he son/mate was gone? His unborn pups taken from him again but this time with the most important person in his life as well. The stress from having Jensen denied as his mate seemed silly now. Jared didn’t care anymore, he loved his pack but he loved Jensen so much more. He wished he’d threatened to leave right away, before Jensen was pregnant. They would be somewhere else right now, together and safe as they got ready to welcome their children into the world.

If his pup had been killed because he’s been out getting drunk and being whiny Jared would never forgive himself. This was the tragedy of his last family all over, his mate and pups snatched away from him.

When they arrived at the crash scene Jared couldn’t get out of the vehicle. Terror paralyzed him for the first time in his life and he just laid there, a huge wolf crammed in the too small suv, shivering violently and refusing to even sniff the air for fear he’d scent this dead son/mate. Misha jumped out and went to the accident site straight away, Jared’s heart hammering painfully as the emergency officers spoke to him and showed him to the line of bodies, Misha checking under each tarp.

“Jensen and Ryan aren’t here!” He immediately shouted across the scene and Jared felt something in him give way, bittersweet relief because Jensen wasn’t dead but he was still missing. Jared’s emotions were twisted all around and he felt old suddenly, too old and tired. Chad was grinning, slapping his back and saying reassuring things but Jared just wanted Jensen back.

Misha was making his way back, answering his phone and simultaneously avoiding emergency people asking questions, they had no time to stand around and explain right then, they needed to search the area, find Jensen’s scent and track it while it was fresh. But then Misha froze on the spot, talking into his phone and suddenly rushing back in a way the made Jared’s heart seize excruciatingly again. But when Misha reached him he just pushed the phone to Jared’s oversized ear. A few quick breaths identified the caller - Jared knew that breathing perfectly - even before Jared heard his son’s voice calling his name.

Jared would never figure out how he shifted right then, he wasn’t even remotely in control emotionally but his wolf form gave way to human and Jared took the phone, his voice croaking Jensen’s name back with tears choking his throat.

“Misha knows where we are, a gas station a few miles ahead,” Jensen said straight away and Jared understood why they were moving again.

“Are you ok Jensen? God, June said you fought, said they tried to…they wanted to hurt you” Jared managed; his voice broke as he couldn’t even say it.

“I’m fine, I got a few bruises but I’m fine, not one did anything else, I’m fine, we’re _all_ fine,” Jensen said in referenced to the unasked question and Jared closed his eyes as the relief that his son hadn’t been raped and that they’re pups were still safe washed over him.

“Me and Ryan overpowered the wolf in the back with us, the other one died from the first fight, when June was there?” Jensen voice sounded hoarse and Jared just want to see him, wanted to hold him already. The painful grip on his heart was threatening to let up but not quite there; it wouldn’t either until Jensen was with him again.

“She told us about it,” Jared supplied, watching the road for any sign of a gas station.

“Y-yeah, we stopped him and at first we were going to try and jump but one of them had a gun on them and I dunno why… I just pointed it where the driver would be through the wall…and then after we crashed…I don’t know why I did that...I just thought… what if they come after us again I thought...what if they came back for the _pups_ , my pups.”

“You didn’t do anything wrong, you stopped some fucked up wolves Jensen, the other one died in crash too. I’d have killed them anyway, I’d have found them and killed them a lot less clean then what they got.”

“We didn’t stop to check once we got out...for the other one I mean,” Jensen admitted and Jared could hear the tears starting to well in Jensen’s voice.

Jensen always tried to keep it together until the last second. He pushed and pushed until he just broke and Jared knew it was coming and it hurt in his chest that he wasn’t there with his pup.

Jared’s heart jumped into his throat when he caught sight of Jensen. A truck was pulled over beside the gas station, a family waiting with Jensen and Ryan, both wolves were roughed up looking and wearing ill-fitting clothing. Standing huddled in the cold winter winds.

 

When Jensen was ten he got in the only physical fight he was ever in as a human. Every other scuffle was as a wolf with his thick fur to protect him. Dean Wesson had told Jensen he was his ‘dad’s coddled omega bitch’ and Jared’s son had taken offence. The fight was nothing really; Jensen got a split lip and Dean a black eye. Jared could remember the line of blood running down Jensen’s little mouth. It was the only time he’d really been hurt like that, most of Jensen’s pains came from his weak lungs rather then injuries that actually showed.

So it was the first time Jared had ever seen his pup like this and Jared wanted to run over and gather his son up just as strongly as he wanted to attack any and everything that could hurt him. Jensen’s face was a mess, cuts and bruises marring it, one big black eye and swelling from where he’d been hit more then once. Jared’s eyes roamed over every inch of Jensen as the vehicle pulled in closer. His son was sitting but Jared caught the way he was favoring one side, how his left arm was pulled in to his stomach protectively. The borrowed clothing clung in sports, a white shirt dark red where Jensen’s had bled through. Jared wanted to strip him down and check every single scratch.

“I see you, we’re in the suv.”

They pulled up to the station and Jared was out long before they stopped, rushing to his son/mate. He didn’t give a damn that he was naked and people could see them. Jensen dropped the phone he was holding and stumbled to stand up so he could throw himself into Jared’s embrace, crying in huge gasping sobs as he clung. All the strength in him gave out as he no longer had to be strong and Jared gathered him in close, freely letting his pup fall apart on him. He dropped a kiss to Jensen’s brow and rained more down, kissing Jensen’s mouth and tasting the blood as he scented him and reassured himself Jensen was there, he was alive.

With a shuddering breath that wracked his whole body, Jensen shifted and Jared followed him among the shocked sounds of the human onlookers watching. If there was a big size difference when they where human; then it was huge when they where wolves. Jared easily curled himself around the smaller wolf. Pressing in close, he scenting Jensen franticly, needing to reassure himself over and over that his pup was there, he was alive and safe.

 

Misha and Chad handled everything else Jared learned later. All his focus was for Jensen alone, it wasn’t an alphas reaction but it was all Jared could give. Luckily he had his pack mates there. They assessed Ryan’s injuries, thanked the human family for helping the pups, and called an ambulance so Jensen and Ryan could go to emergency and be checked properly. It killed Jared to have the strangers touching his son, medical or not, but Chad coached him through it, reminding Jared that Jensen had been in a crash, he could have internal damage or something else dangerous. The pups could be in danger and only medical staff would be able to check properly. When they managed to calm down enough to shift back, Jensen’s fingers entwined with Jared’s and never once let go throughout the hours of medical examinations and admittance into the local hospital.

The doctors and nurses wisely never tried to make him leave. They were werewolf friendly and knew enough that splitting pack up during a crisis wasn’t an option. Ryan had a broken leg and pelvis but it would mend fine, his advanced healing already at work. Jensen had even less damage, a sprained wrist, shallow cuts, and bruising, nothing remotely dangerous. His arms were scratched and bruised up because he’d wrapped them around his stomach when they crashed. The pups where all fine, thank the Luna, Jensen was four weeks in and each one was looking healthy. Jensen declined to know how many or genders, it was considered bad luck to know before the birth and Jared was amused to see Jensen acting superstitious. After all the stress of the last day it felt amazing to laugh a little as Jensen blushed.

“Better safe then sorry,” was his excuse and Jared just nodded.

 

Once the medical examinations were out of the way the boys were given a private room, asked to stay the night for observation. Chad had returned to the pack while Misha and Mark were stalking the hospital halls, getting an idea of the layout just in case. Ryan was in the bed next over but knocked out on pain medication. Jared had climbed into the tiny bed with Jensen and gathered his pup close, Jensen’s head tucked under his chin and their bodies pressed tightly, both clinging and neither caring if it was a little to hard.

“I should have told you, about the e-mail. I knew June and Ryan had answered but I didn’t think it mattered. June never told me we were meeting them until we were half way there but I still should have stopped. I wanted to but I knew they’d go without me. I still should have called the patrol or something,” Jensen explained with a quiet shame and Jared squeezed him in comfort.

“You didn’t know. You thought it would be some long lost parents trying to find June and Ryan, a single wolf, not four nut jobs.”

“Still, I knew better, I should have been more assertive, shouldn’t have let Ryan and June push me into it,” Jensen said, his voice twisted with self-loathing and Jared frowned.

“They knew you’d go, that’s why they did it that way, lured you up and made you feel like you had to,” Jared replied, gazing at Ryan sleeping in the other bed as he rested his chin on the top of Jensen’s head and idly stroked his hair. “You three where lucky as hell they were crazy and not just out to kill you. Those two fools are so damn lucky they didn’t get you killed. This is in no way your fault Jensen, I won’t stand to hear any crap otherwise.”

“But it’s not their fault, they were manipulated, there’s nothing you can ever do that will punish them more then they’re already going to do to themselves,” Jensen shot back, lifting their entwined hands and squeezing, his fingers so much smaller then Jared’s own. They looked delicate and fragile; it reminded Jared of how easily his pup could have been lost to him.

“I know, I don’t blame them, they’re just kids,” Jared assured and pressed his nose into Jensen’s hair needing to scent him, to know he was fine and safe.

“...I’m not sorry.” Jensen confessed quietly and Jared didn’t press, just waited.

“I killed them, literally tore out someone’s throat and watched him bleed out, felt someone’s eyeball burst under my fingers… I… took a gun and aimed to shoot someone in the back of the head… but I’m not sorry. I don’t regret it at all. All I wanted was to go home, my pups and me, I just wanted to go home and never have to fear they would come back again. I kept thinking if they realized I was pregnant they’d force me to miscarry at first. But then I thought what if…what if they let me keep them, more omegas to breed later on… That’s what I was thinking when I pulled the trigger,” Jensen muttered and pressed his face to Jared’s collarbone, his whole body shivering.

“You did what was needed Jensen. You’re a werewolf not a human, were not bloodthirsty killers but we’re not tamed dogs either. I’d have promised them riches and everything they could hope for to get them to bring you back. I’d have sworn up and down and promised they’d be safe knowing damn well I was going to kill them the second you were safe. They were dead either way,” he explained and pressed a kiss to his son’s brow. “I’ve killed far more than you Jensen, I’ve attacked turned backs and tore out throats plenty of times, watched them gurgle on their own blood and die. You killed to protect yourself and your pups, you did nothing wrong.”

Jensen shuddered and pressed in tightly, Jared stoking his hair as his pup cried silently.

“You’re not sorry for doing what you had to come home to me, you brought my mate and pups back safe. How could you ever be sorry for that?”

“M’not,” Jensen said against Jared’s shirt, crying quietly as Jared tucked him close as he could, mindful of the IV on Jensen’s one hand.

“It not your fault, not June or Ryan, only those fucked up wolves, don’t ever think any different. Don’t think for a second those wolves would have lived either, I mean it when I say I’d have killed them, hunted them down. They attacked out pack, stole pups from us, they chose to do that and they chose to forfeit their lives for that.”

Jensen nodded, face hidden and Jared just rocked him until he fell asleep, exhausted by everything.

“From what we can figure, they were from the original blood line of the fallen pack, wanted to restore it again rather then seeing it die out,” Misha explained quietly, hours later when both Jensen and Ryan were sleeping.

“They kidnapped the kids in hopes of getting them passed the us borders and down into some hole where they could force breed Jensen and June, maybe figured they could come back someday and take the lands back or something.”

“Crazy fucks,” Jared muttered, Jensen still tucked into his side.

“Not really. They planned this all out, planned it just after Jensen and June had supposedly gone into heat, because there was still a good chance of them conceiving right away still and the pack would be more lax then before the heat season. They had the truck waiting and a bunch of spare license plates to switch out. A map with different routes to take, an agreement with a pack in Mexico that would protect them for the right to have Jensen bare for them as well. This was all carefully planned and if Jensen hadn’t stopped them they’d have gotten away, we nearly reached the next pack territory and they’d refused to let us passed when I called them.”

Jared watched as Misha rubbed his face with his hands, the usually upbeat wolf looked haggard.

“Best I can tell there where only four of them but if they were anymore…”

“Jensen will be protected, they all will.” Jared replied, voice calm and certain, he had no doubt in him that the three werewolves would be guarded with all the resources the pack had. He felt cold knowing how meticulously planned the kidnapping was but he knew for certain he’d protect Jensen.

“I know that but I think it might be wise to publicly announce your mated,” Misha said as he rolled his sore shoulders and reminded Jared the other wolf hadn’t had a chance to rest yet. “Someone took a video of your reunion, it’s not good quality so you could go either way, claim you weren’t making out with him or that you were. It would protect Jensen to be your mate; his biology would be tied to yours so it would be pointless to kidnap him.”

Werewolf breeding went two ways. An unmated wolf could couple with various wolves and have their pups or they could bond with a single wolf and their bodies would adapt to breeding with that wolf and that one alone. Jared had always assumed knotting sex was what tied mates for life but he knew it was more then that now. He’d never knotted Jensen but they were mated, already their scents were mingling in a way that proclaimed it. Jensen would never have been able to be bred by the other wolves.

“Jensen is already my mate, the elders denied him though,” he explained and Misha shrugged, leaning back in his chair.

“Doesn’t matter what they say, if the bond is there it can’t be undone, more so if Jensen’s pregnant with your pups. Right now the pack will just be glad to have him back safe, the mating won’t be questioned at this point if the bond it already in place.”

Jared made a noise of agreement and rested his chin on Jensen’s head, idly tracing his fingers along Jensen’s arm.

“It’s done.”

“Good. The abduction and hunt caught the attention of the world so we’ll hold a press conference tomorrow morning. You can explain what happened and then once Jensen and Ryan clear we can go home without having to deal with any press there.”

“Good idea.”

“Yeah, well I don’t want media snooping around the pack and this way they’ll have no excuse, you can make it clear it won’t be tolerated. That way I can go home, grab Vicki and West, then sleep for the next month.”

Misha wearily rubbed his shoulder again and Jared knew why, his own joints were aching from a day and a half of full on running. They weren’t in their prime anymore he mused.

“You did amazing Misha, I really stumbled as an alpha with this and you picked up the slack, made sure everything ran as smoothly as it could. I owe you a lot,” he told the other wolf, meeting his gaze steadily and speaking seriously. Misha ruined it with a snort and dismissive shake of his head.

“You kept it together a hell of a lot better than I would have, I know Jensen is everything to you, mate and pup combined, with your unborn pups no less. The idea of loosing that… you don’t own me anything alpha.”

“So you don’t want a few extra months off after this all settles? A big fat bonus and the approval you’ve wanted to buy solar panels for the town?”

“Hey, hey, I never said that now.”

“Some of are trying to sleep,” Jensen slurred out, one bleary eye cracking to give Jared a look. “All of us should be sleeping really. Mark is on first shift and there is a couch here, get some sleep Misha.”

“That an order, omega-alpha?” Misha teased but obeyed, going towards the couch while Jared shifted to sink into the bed with Jensen. As his official mate, Jensen went from an omega in the pack to the omega-alpha. Just like there were plenty of alphas in the pack but Jared was _the_ pack alpha. Normally his mate would be his second and have power, which was why the elders were supposed to approve of him beforehand. As a rare _omega_ -alpha Jensen held even more power, enough to match or even surpass Jared. But he didn’t care about any of that anymore. Jensen had nearly been taken from him, if the elders didn’t like Jensen becoming his mate they just have to deal with it or remove Jared from power, either way he wasn’t giving up or hiding Jensen anymore.


	3. Chapter 3

The press conference went well enough, Jared just got up and said his piece, refused questions and made it clear outsiders would not be tolerated snooping around near his pack. Jensen and Ryan where discharged with a clean bill of health and the Ryan’s eager parents were there to take them home, the tearful reunion caught on camera for positive reinforcement in the public eye. They were loading into a rental van when a reporter who managed to bypass the security of the hospital came up to them, stupidly ignoring Jared’s glare to try and get more questions in.

“How do you think this will effect your pack’s reputation? Will it be a hard blow?”

Jensen’s hand on his arm was all that stopped Jared from grabbing the idiot and shoving him away.

“Those who tried to cause trouble with our pack are all dead now, anyone else - human or werewolf - should know what to expect,” Jensen replied curtly and Jared felt a swell of pride for his mate, Jensen’s bruises and cuts had faded but where still there, but they didn’t make him look weak. The way he held himself so calmly came off has confident and strong, the injuries only made him look stronger.

“What about the incest factor,” the report shot out, trying to throw Jensen and Jared stood straighter and glared the smaller man down warningly.

“You’re thinking like a human, the fact of the matter is my pack just gained an omega-alpha, nothing about that is damaging.”

“Leave now,” Jared snapped as soon as Jensen was done before the man could ask another question, he fixed a hard glare on him and the rest of the pack followed suit. Eyes reflecting eerily with the gold hue in a way that always unnerved humans, an old instinct of predator and prey. Despite his confidence from before the human had the sense to back off, snapping shots as Jared helped Jensen into the van before getting in himself and pulling away.

“That was smart, it’ll be the first the world hears of Jensen as omega-alpha and it was strong and sure,” Misha commented giving Jensen a wink and looking more like his usual self now that his mate Vicki was at his side, driving the van so Ryan’s parents could focus on him for the trip.

“Good. It’ll help when I take over,” Jensen shot back with a straight face and Jared grinned from ear to ear, dropping his arm along the backseat behind Jensen and feeling him lean into it.

“All hail the new overlord,” Vicki decreed as they left the small city and headed home.

 

In the end the elders couldn’t say anything, they were forced to approve Jensen as Jared’s mate. Most of the pack knew there had been an altercation between them and Jared. With Jensen openly claimed as a mate, Chad let everyone know the elders had tried to forbid the union. With all his gossiping, Chad knew how to spin a story and he made Jared and Jensen into a forbidden love, the pregnancy the icing on the top. No pack didn’t love pups, more so a litter. June’s guilty conscious turned her into a crusader for Jensen, she told the story of how he stayed to help them, refused to abandon his pack even when the elders were refusing his right to be with his mate. The entire story played out with Jared and Jensen being the victims of the cruel elders; even though the elders had only wanted what they thought was best for the pack. Jensen had said so and only received more approval for being so forgiving and understanding, it just made the elders look worse really. Jared actually felt a little bad for them, they’d only done what they thought best but among the pack and they’d gained disapproval, coming between love and over romanticized notions like that.

Pack members were coming up and congratulating Jared and Jensen, giving their support and sharing their excitement over the pregnancy. They went from having to hide themselves away to being the focus of the town. Betas cooing when Jared insisted he hold Jensen’s hand everywhere, just to see him blush so prettily he said. Jensen didn’t complain though because he understood, just like when Jared suddenly appeared in a room, a stricken look ghosting on his face. Too often he expected Jensen to just be gone again, snatched up even though the pack was on high alert still, Jensen never going anywhere without a adult pack member and plenty more keeping a distant eye on him.

Seeing Jared nearly fall apart when Jensen had disappeared and hearing rumor that he would resign as alpha in order to keep his mate, even those not happy with the union kept quiet. The pack accepted Jensen without a hitch and the outside world didn’t know a thing, they were led to believe Jensen was already the omega-alpha before his abduction.

While Jared certainly wasn’t happy with the events that had happened - he still needed to keep Jensen close by at all times and his pup needed to be there just as much - but Jared couldn’t deny that the kidnapping had made the pack smoothly accept Jensen as Jared’s mate.

An official mating ceremony would be held, Jared’s mother was right there in the planning without a single frown over her grandson becoming her son in law. Most of the pack claimed to have seen it coming for years and Jared wondered if maybe there was some truth in the claim with how calm his mother took it. His father and brothers hadn’t been as positive but they hadn’t protested so Jared left it, hoping time would cool them off. Rather then on any issues Jared wanted to focus in on Jensen so he did, on the easy smile his son/mate wore all the time now, fussing over how many flowers could be at the ceremony.

 

“I’m an omega, not a girl,” he grumbled with a hint of a pout but his grandmother just chuckled and insisted on it. Jared felt like an idiot grinning as hard as he was, but he just leaned on the door jam and watched the scenario. The sight of Jensen’s hand resting on the slightest bump of his stomach made Jared’s grin refuse to budge.

“They’d put me in a dress if they could,” Jensen grumbled later on when it was just them for once. There home was normally visited, but now every pack member seemed determined to come through every damn day.

“A big floofy one, with sparkles,” Jared agreed easily as he got ready for bed, leaning a touch to see the line of Jensen’s back in the bathroom as he brushed his teeth. Although he could hear and smell him, Jared need to see Jensen sometimes, an irrational fear that he’d be gone making him check.

“Screw you, just because I take it in the ass doesn’t make me a chick, it’s sexist!” Jensen huffed, waving his toothbrush around and Jared smirked, coming up behind him. Jensen was freaking adorable when he ranted, though Jared would never dare to tell him so.

“Maybe it’s your pretty eyes? Those thick lashes or button nose, maybe your pretty curvy waist?” He offered, trying to sound serious as his hands traced the dip of Jensen’s middle, his hands looking huge on Jensen’s small body as the moved to cup the swell of their children.

“I can cut you.”

“I’m sure you can,” Jared agreed, fighting a smirk as he caught Jared’s dark look in the mirror. His thumb touched the curve of Jensen’s scar and absently traced the groove along his body. Leaning down, Jared pushed his nose against the nape of Jensen’s neck and gave a good long inhale that went straight to his dick.

“God, you smell good.”

“Hmm,” Jensen brushed his teeth absently, looking amused now. “I’m starting to smell pregnant.”

Jared watched him spit and rinse his mouth before he slipped passed Jared and let him brush his own teeth.

“Are you nervous about it? Becoming a mother I mean.”

“Not really, I knew being an omega meant family would be a big thing no matter who I ended up with, I’m looking forward to it actually,” Jensen admitted and Jared caught sight of him in the mirror, his son/mate tracing the curve of his baby bump. In the next month it would inflate like crazy and instinct would drive Jensen to be a wolf more then human until the pups arrived, hence the rushed ceremony.

Jared spit in the sink and then glanced in the mirror over his shoulder again and felt that knee jerk reaction fear when Jensen wasn’t visible.

“Jen?”

“Hmmm?” The sound was absent minded and Jared could hear his son/mate shifting around in the bedroom. He finished up his routine and left the bathroom, looking for Jensen and stopping dead when he caught sight of him. There was a long mirror hanging on the inside of the closet and Jensen stood in front of it wearing nothing but briefs, absently tracing his scars. His fingers traced each groove while his eyes followed.

“The healers always told me there would be trouble when I had pups. That the scarring wouldn’t stretch like the rest of my skin, he figured it would crack and bleed the bigger I got.”

“We’ll buy some cream or something, find a way around it,” Jared instantly offered, looking at the jagged lines on Jensen’s shoulder and just above his hip. They’d been there since the beginning and Jared was so used to seeing them, he couldn’t imagine Jensen without them. “You worry too much about them, they’re not as bad as you think they are.”

They did stand out, but Jared always got the impression Jensen thought they made him hideous or something.

“I know, how they look doesn’t bother me, just…” Jensen tilted his head and lifted his arm so he could see the jagged lines curve around his side and along his back. “It’s what they represent…she was supposed to love me, us.”

Jared made a surprised sound but forced himself to stay quiet, Jensen had always claimed that the scars bothered him for aesthetic reasons alone. He’d never once suggested his insecurities had anything to do with how he got them or his mother.

“…She killed them, tried to kill me. Obviously she didn’t love us and I can’t help but think…I dunno. There’s supposed to be this huge motherly instinct or something and she didn’t have it… so what if I won’t either…what If I don’t love my children?”

Jensen met Jared’s gaze in the mirror and he could see a deep-seated fear in his pup’s gaze, this wasn’t a new insecurity.

“Are you kidding me?” He scoffed and crossed the room to hug Jensen from behind. “Look at you and Mary? Tommy and Nicole. I’ve seen you with them, I’ve seen how much you adore them and you just babysit them,” Jared explained, crossing the room and pressing Jensen close to him, his back to Jared’s chest.

“But what if?”

“You care about those pups, that’s more then Alexis ever had, she never liked pups, never coddled any of them or wanted to hold newborns. I think… she resented being an omega,” he admitted, remembering all those little warning signs that might have saved his other children if he’d just been more observant.

“What wrong with it? It’s not like I’m going to be some broad mare, it’s something honored.”

“Some people hide behind it though, and when they do that it becomes all they have, a title shouldn’t make up everything about you, I think Alexis was raised like that without any choice, her pack forced her into that role. I’ve always tried to let you be who you wanted, to move passed being an omega.”

“It’s just a part of me, not everything so you did well I guess,” Jensen replied, tipping his head invitingly and Jared took it, ducking down to kiss his son/mate. His hand’s curled over Jensen’s hips and skimmed along the line of Jensen’s briefs, edging the skin just under them teasingly.

“Are you trying to get frisky with me?” Came the amused accusation, Jensen pressing the curve of his backside snuggly into Jared’s front. “I pour out my heart to you and all you want it a lay,” he sighed in mock hurt and Jared smirked.

“You know me, shallow and out for one thing,” he agreed and then yanked Jensen up bridle style just to piss him off. Going to the bed he set Jensen down carefully and pressed reverent kiss to the swell of his stomach. With a fond smile, Jensen peered at him and cupped his face, bringing his father up close for a soft kiss. While they’d had plenty of sex over the months this time felt different, more intimate because it was slow and careful, Jared not daring to be rough in anyway. As he took his climax in Jensen’s body he felt his knot begin to swell and pressed in deep, tying them together for the first time and binding their bodies permanently.

 

Most werewolves only took a mate once, divorce was unheard of and remarriage just as rare. Jared’s situation was an exception to the ideal but it was still weird to see his second mating ceremony come together. Every ceremony of the pack was held in the town square, from presenting newborns and celebrating first shifting to mating ceremonies and funerals. There was a low platform and arbor in the square, all painstakingly hand carved and as old as the pack itself was. It was a symbol of the pack and it’s history, small reliefs depicted key events in the pack and every single wolf that had been in the pack had shed their blood on the wood in a coming of age ceremony. When the pack first settled there the picked a young sapling and built their home around it, the tree growing with the pack thought the years. I was a huge thing now, ancient and proudly proclaiming that they had been there for centuries. The arbor and platform were all made from the fallen branches of it and rested directly in front of the tree.

It was a sacred place to pack, when they had over taken the fallen pack, they burned down their tree and arbor, the final irrefutable fall of the pack. After that they knew they’d won, that the pack was fallen and no member could argue that. Their own square was carefully guarded from outsiders and a hallowed place to even the most modern pack member.

Jared had been there plenty of times over the years, he presided over every single ceremony held there as pack alpha and he lingered there now. Looking at the reliefs that retold of the pack’s greatest triumphs and failures, their last war the newest carving with room for more yet. Jared hoped to put something positive up there in his time as alpha.

“Your mom said you were remising,” Jensen teased as he approached, the curve of his stomach prominent now, only a few weeks left before the due date. Jared spent a good majority of his time obsessing over Jensen and their pups, making sure they where healthy to such a degree that Jensen was _finally_ getting annoyed with his over bearing hovering.

“You escaped?” Jared replied, leaning against the hand carved rail and peering at the people all around but staying out of earshot for once. The pack was giving them room for once, milling around but not lingering as the square was cleaned and decorated.

“If I have to get fitted one more time, I’ll just show up naked,” Jensen threatened idly and Jared grinned, wiggling his brows at the idea.

“Perv,” his son/mate said with more fondness then reproach. “Wanna run away for awhile?” He added after a beat, eyeing the people milling around to see if anyone had overheard him.

“I’m shocked! An alpha and his omega-alpha are the pillars of the pack, what would everyone think, doing something like that?” Jared said in a mock loud voice, letting a few members near by know so there was no panic when they turned up missing. Taking Jensen’s arm in his, he led him away quickly, his pup rolling his eyes at Jared’s silliness as other werewolves watched fondly. He couldn’t help it though, after everything he just needed to be light-hearted.

They ditched their clothing on a bench on the outskirts of the town; pants and shirts already piled there, shoes tucked neatly under it like it was a front door and not a bench outside. It was a sort of unofficial place to leave your clothing when going out for a run and being too lazy to go home first.

Once they slipped into the woods home free the care in their step faded and they raced along the trees. Jensen was moving more slowly with his heavy belly but Jared had no problem keeping his pace, he didn’t want to run right now as much as get some time alone with his son/mate. It felt good to have some time with him beyond when they were tucked up in bed but pretty much every waking hour was snatched up with others. They meant well and there was a lot to do but still, Jared had a reputation for being possessive of his pup for a reason. Most days Jensen was in his wolf form now, milling around town or even the house but always as a wolf. It was a clear sign his due date was closing in Jared was beyond ready for his pups to be born.

Jensen panted a little and they settled near the riverbank, Jared diving in to go fishing while Jensen stretched out on the sun warmed rocks. It was an idle waste of time but it felt so damn good, Jensen accepting a fish even though Jared knew his worried about having bad breath and getting scales stuck in his teeth when he shifted back to human. A few pack members caught sight of them but Jared shooed them off, giving a few snarls to show it was private time and they seemed to keep their leaders secret since his mother didn’t come storming to snatch Jensen up again. They managed to stay hidden until the sun fell low and his mother finally started calling for them. Unable to ignore his mama’s demanding howls Jared answered and they slinked back to the town, Jared for some reason the blunt of her annoyance while Jensen was let off scot-free.

“She likes you best,” he pouted and Jensen just nodded, smirking a little as he tried to slip his shirt back on. Jared wordlessly moved to help him, if he wanted it he’d let Jared if not he’d push him off. Depending on his mood either one was possible and Jared learned to accept it without question, a pregnant Jensen was a hormonal one. Jared just took it all in stride, he’d seen enough pregnant wolves over the years to know the best thing to do was to be a doormat to his lovely, perfect, amazing mate. Pampering pregnant pack members was a big part of werewolf culture so the whole pack was catering to Jensen and the other wolves that had been successful in the breeding season. Still Jensen was months ahead of everyone so he was gaining some special attention and the omega-alpha status just made it worse.

So the morning of the ceremony, it was Jared who got kicked out of his own bed and home. He was barely awake and his own mama was hustling him down the stairs and out the front door in nothing but a pair of sweat pants.

“It’s bad luck to see each other,” she fussed and Jared for all his alpha leadership take command skills, was useless again his mama’s firm look.

“It’s not a wedding! It’s a werewolf mating ceremony, stop mixing the two together,” he complained but shoved his feet into his shoes and let himself be kicked out.

“You’re abandoning me to them?” Jensen hissed and Jared looked up to see his son peering out the bedroom window on the second floor, glaring down at him.

“They like you better,” he jeered, suddenly feeling fine with going over to his parents home to get ready.

“I’m not putting out!”

“I already knocked you up!”

“Go already!” Somebody from inside the house shouted and Jared laughed, feeling ridiculous but stupidly happy.

 

“So, you’re getting mated,” Chad opened smoothly as he entered Jared’s childhood bedroom, a study now. Although with a litter of pups on the way there was talk of him switching his two-bedroom place out with his parent’s six-bedroom house so it could be a bedroom yet.

“Yes. Mated, to Jensen, did you hear about that?” Jared shot back easily, slipping into his suit and wondering why they got so dressed up when they’d be stripping down soon enough to run as wolves after the ceremony.

“I wanted to talk to you, about the pills you found.”

Jared watched the way Chad closed the door firmly behind him and then nodded, not sure where this was going. Last week Jared had found a prescription bottle in his house, he didn’t recognize it and Jensen claimed they weren’t his. There was no name of the owner or contents so he passed it to Chad, leaving it to him to take them to the healer and track down the owner, with all the people going through his house, Jared hadn’t thought much of it.

“So?”

“So… the pills weren’t the healers, at least he didn’t prescribe them but when he looked up his logs he found the order for them.”

“Someone got into Singer’s office, took his prescription pad, forged his signature and then had them delivered all without him noticing?” Jared asked skeptically, the healer was an older wolf but a sharp one; it would take a lot to get something like that by him.

“He wasn’t happy with it at first but the overnight he decided he must have ordered them and forgot, clearly a lie to cover his mistake or…”

“Or?”

“To cover someone else,” Chad admitted with a sort of hesitation that gave Jared pause.

“Such as?”

“…Fuck. The only person who’d have that access is his summer assistant.”

“ _Jensen_? You think Jensen did all that for…what are they anyway?”

“They’re fertility pills, the best you can get on the market right now and known to have a high successes rate with omegas. Look, I know you won’t like hearing it but Singer was all pissed and determined to figure it out and the next time I saw him he was sure it was his mistake and the pills had mysteriously disappeared. He didn’t seem to worried though and you mentioned you asked Jensen about them and-”

“I don’t even know what you accusing Jensen of and I’m pissed, you think he… what got pregnant intentionally? If he did so what? It’s done,” Jared snapped, pulling his coat on tightly and frowning at himself in the mirror while Chad fidgeted behind him.

“It’s more then that-”

“It’s pointless, drop it, forget the damn pills.”

“Fine, I won’t speak a word of it again, but you have to hear it all then,” Chad announced and Jared fixed him with a look.

“I don’t have to do shit,” he warned and his friend broke gaze, looking down in submission. Jared was sorely tempted to dismiss him but Chad wouldn’t press if he didn’t truly feel he had too. Jared gave a sigh but silently allowed the other man to continue.

“Chris told me Jensen bribed him to pretend he had a crush on him. I had to get the pup drunk to admit it, but he said Jensen promised to get him a date with a beta he was hung up on if he’d play along.”

“Chad, what is the point of this?”

“Nothing really, the truth of it I guess. I think Jensen wasn’t as innocent as you thought he was, that maybe he planned a few step of your relationship. I’m not saying it changes anything or that he’s up to anything, just…he more tricky then you’d think and I know how dangerously stupid that is to say, you’re blind when it comes to Jensen and twice as protective.”

“…point taken, not keep it to yourself. Even if Jensen lured me into a incestuous pregnancy I went happily and that’s where I’ll stay.”

“I get it, don’t get riled, I just wanted you to know! I like your brat, he’ll be a good omega-alpha _and_ he owns your ass. I just thought you should know in case you ever felt guilty or like a cradle robber or something, your kid jumped into this head first,” Chad explained hastily and Jared doubted it was the whole truth but he just gave a nod.

“Even if he did something like that, I’ve been chasing off alphas from him for years, a lot more aggressively then just a father… there have been a lot of packs asking to let Jared meet their heirs, to get to know them and I’ve always denied it despite how it would help the pack. The closer we got to the time when he should have been moving out and finding a mate the more I realized I had not intention of letting him leave me. Pills, jealous schemes regardless, we’d have mated.”

 

As per the ceremony, Jared met Jensen in the town square, his mother and two brothers standing behind his son/mate as family representatives. His own father and the rest of his siblings stood with him. It was symbolic stance, they were supposed to be merging families but it was kind of moot with the whole incest thing. Still, they both left their family members and met in the middle, taking hands and walking down the square so the pack could see them and bare witness.

Jensen looked amazing, he got to wear a pair of loose fitting pants and a shirt to match, both expensive and finely made but nowhere near as constraining as the suit Jared had been stuffed into.

“If I wasn’t pregnant I’d be in one too,” Jensen reassured lightly, his free hand tucked over the swell of his stomach, the material cut to show it off rather then downplay it.

“Mhhh, funny thing, I asked Chad to look into those pills I found,” Jared said softly, voice low as he pressed his mouth to Jensen’s ear so they wouldn’t be overheard.

“And?”

“’And’ indeed, did you bribe the healer?” He questioned, smiling easily as the passed pack members, meeting gazes and nodding his head.

“…Are you mad?”

Jared blinked at that but didn’t miss a step, walking to the platform where the elders waited as he processed Jensen’s admittance that he’d taken fertility medication.

“Why didn’t you just tell me when I asked?”

“How would that go? ‘Oh those are my pills to help me get knocked up, I’ve been taking them for half a year hoping you’d get in bed with me and we’d have a litter’. That sounds perfectly fine,” Jensen shot back, his face never betraying his words, they looked like they where whispering sweet nothings to each other.

“You… half a year?”

“You didn’t tell me if you’re mad or not,” Jensen pointed out and Jared caught the hint of tension in his son/mate’s tone.

“I’m not, I’ve always wanted more pups and I knew when I started this with you I was in for the long haul. I just don’t get why,” he admitted easily and gave Jensen’s a hand a reassuring squeeze as they took the steps up the platform and under the arbor.

“…I didn’t want you to give me what I’d always wanted and then try to take it away for some reason,” Jensen finally whispered and Jared looked down at him, reading his pup’s gaze for a long moment before nodding and stepping before the elder who would preside the ceremony in Jared’s place. Normally the pack alpha was the one doing the marrying.

The ceremony was short, werewolves weren’t the kind for long-winded speeches, more so when their own biology would tie them for life more then any promise. Still, Jared and Jensen both made the vows of loyalty and love hand in hand.

Once it was done the pack stripped down for a run of the territory, sang together as a pack and then filtered back into the town for the reception which consisted of the entire down getting drunk and having a good ole time.

 

“What did you mean? About me taking what you wanted away?” Jared asked much later, when they were both exhausted and settled into a quiet part of the square cuddled up and watching the pack enjoy themselves.

“I was worried, that you’d be with me but then get guilty and decide you were too old for me, or that you incest was bad, or the pack wouldn’t like it, I dunno, something that would make you walk away.”

“Huh… I don’t know how to tell you this Jen, I’m in no way that good of a wolf. It never once occurred to me to let you go, half the reason I decided it was going to work out was when I realized I could keep you forever if you were my mate.” Jared had an arm around Jensen’s shoulders and he hugged him, dropping a kiss to his brow.

“…We’re terribly codependent.”

“To a concerning level,” Jared agreed, resting his chin on the top of Jensen head and watching some of the young pups chase each other around. When Jared agreed to take Alexis as a mate, this was the last thing he’d ever had thought would come from it. But for all the pains that it had involved, he couldn’t deny it was worth the out come. He’d gotten exactly what he’d wanted, an omega mate he’d come to love utterly and a litter of pups on the way.

 

Omega’s by instinct picked a den in a safe location, usually somewhere hidden. Despite what had happened with Alexis, Jared did his best to leave Jensen’s den in peace. Even as his mate, he was still a wolf snooping around and it would only put Jensen’s nerves on edge regardless of trust factors. Only a week after their rushed mating ceremony Jensen had stopped shifting to his human form, he was constantly a wolf and that was a clear sign the pups would arrive shortly. Any day now really, Jensen had been coming and going with dirt under his claws from digging his den out.

Jared resisted the urge to follow Jensen and find out where that den was, he didn’t even ask even though it was killing him, he refused to let his past ruin his present. Jensen watched him through it all, silently amused and waiting for Jared to break and ask while Jared was determined not to, it was a game without tension between them because in the end Jared trusted his mate. Not to mention a few other wolves had hinted they knew where the den was, had seen where Jensen was digging.

In the end though Jensen took him to the den without being asked, it was something he didn’t have to do but did anyway because he knew how much Jared worried.

 

In the early morning, before the sun was even up Jensen was stirring awake, Jared was in human form and tucked in with his wolf mate. Jensen had been coming and going of late so Jared didn’t think much of it until his son/mate nudged him, whining impatiently.

“Hmmm?” Jared grumbled, cracking open a eye to peer blearily at his mate in question. Jared was a heavy sleeper but he managed to shake it off as he registered Jensen beside him, nudging him awake. 

“What is it? Is something wrong?” He asked, sitting up and looking Jensen over for any injuries.

Jensen gave a negative shake and just head butted Jared lightly, trying to get him moving.

With a yawn - Jensen wasn’t nervous or scared so Jared didn’t see a need to rush - he kicked off his briefs and shifted forms. As a wolf he shook out his fur once and stretched before giving Jensen a lick and sniff over.

Jensen smelled a little off, something different but not alarming.

It was enough for the alpha to let his mate herd him, leading him from the house and out into the streets.

Trotting after his son/mate, Jared clued in on what was going on, where Jensen was trying to take him.

It was time for the pups.

The den had to be close; Jensen came and went far too quickly for it not to be. Still Jared didn’t know what to think when his pup trotted down the streets into the town rather then outside it. He followed briskly, rubbed up along Jensen and checked his scent again, noting now that Jensen had a slight pant going despite their leisurely pace.

Labor, he was in _labor_.

Tail waving excitedly Jared tried not to rush Jensen, let the omega lead him as they moved along the empty streets, the pack still asleep. The square was deserted in the wee hours save for a few wolves sleeping under the stars, the pack tended to move to sleeping outdoors in the summer months.

Jared gave a confused whine but still let Jensen lead as they closed in on the pack’s ceremonial area, the arbor and tree looming over them. Jensen circled the tree once, looked around and then to Jared’s surprise he wiggled under one of the roots. It was a tiny space but even with his full belly Jensen slipped in, disappearing into the shadows of his chosen safe place. Jared moved in and peered into the dark hole, knowing his bulk wouldn’t go in but that was half the point, to keep everyone but Jensen himself out of the safe spot.

Jensen had picked his den under their tree.

Jared plopped his butt down and pondered that, whether it would be taken as a bad or good thing. He’d certainly never heard of it before but an omega denned where they felt safe, it was sheer impulse and nothing could change that. Jensen had picked where he felt safe, among the pack itself.

Bemused, Jared settled in to guard the spot. As the sun came up wolves starting coming by inquisitive at the sight of Jared seeming to be resting under the tree without Jensen near by. Since the abduction Jared had yet to let Jensen out of his sight for more then a brief moment so the longer he laid alone the more curious the pack got.

Misha ended up coming off of night guard and he approached Jared to give the report without knowing something was up. When he got too close he jumped back suddenly when Jared lunged at him. Now the pack was really watching, Misha questioning as Jared settled down again but shifted to keep Misha in his sight. His fur was up aggressively but he wasn’t snarling, laying down as he was it was clear he was guarding.

The other wolf circled the tree once and then figured it out, always clever. Misha took up post as close as Jared would let him get settling in with his body gestures saying he was guarding too. They both turned to the tree when Jensen whined, long and painful. Jared sniffed the den and felt the reaction fear at the scent of Jensen’s blood. He called and Jensen answered weakly, in labor and about to deliver. Jared’s instinct to guard went into over drive and he chased Misha back another few feet and other wolves as well as the pack realized what was happening. It was rare for an omega to allow their den to be known but when they did it was customary for the werewolves given the honor of knowing to gather around the den and protect it.

“What does it mean? Why did he pick there of all places?” Someone asked among the crowd and Jared tuned in to the chatter but still listened for Jensen’s cries. The choice of den was much discussed among them but ultimately seen as a sign of great trust by Jensen. He had no fear of his pack and on instinct saw no reason to hide his children from them. The pack was pleased by it and Jared could see it was well taken, even the elders had nothing to frown at and he’d worried they’d be the ones to see it a sacrilege under their ceremonial tree.

With the pack fine and dandy Jared turned his worrying to Jensen and the pups. Although the hospital had said the pups were all healthy there was no real way to know absolutely.

What if all the stress put on Jensen, had ill effects?

The healer lingered near by and a few wolves - Jared’s father included - kept him there. They circled the poor man until he got annoyed and snarled and while they backed off they still watched him, refusing to let him leave. Jared approved of it, wanting Singer near by in case Jensen’s whimpers became to pained or the scent of blood too strong.

Jensen had a good pregnancy but he was still small for his age, his lungs were still weak, and it was his first birth. What if the strain was more then his body could take? What if he panicked or something ruptured within him? Jared hunched down right at the den opening and waited, eyes trained on the shadows in the den and he jumped every time Jensen whined or panted hard.

After a long gasping whimper Jensen went silent and Jared’s ear peeked high, his body still and poised as he stared with absolute focus. After a pause the softest of cries came, not Jensen’s but Jared’s newborn child. Confused and scared the pup whined high, testing his lungs out as Jared heard the rasp of Jensen cleaning the pup. After a little shuffling the sound of nursing followed. Jared whined to Jensen and the pup, called to them both and reassured them as his tail thumped the ground none stop and word of the first pup spread throughout the pack.

Jensen had been from a litter of five, conceived out of heat but then he took fertility pills so maybe there would be more? Jared’s family line didn’t have any known omegas so there was no real idea how many pups there would be. Alexis had never talked about her family or the omegas before her either. As the day passed the pack came and went, the town still had to function but it managed on a skeleton crew, the majority of the wolves waiting for news on the pups.

After the first birth the others came within a safe time gap, each pup crying for the first time as Jensen cleaned them and then nursed. Jared rolled around in the dirt like a fool, his tail going a mile a minute as he called to his children and listened to them attentively. Six pups cried out, six new lives born and then they stopped coming. Once an hour passed and Jensen’s labored breathing calmed Jared knew it was done. Six pups he sang to the pack and they answered happily, prancing around the square and celebrating with the same delight he felt, pups! New pups to welcome into the pack.

Jared waited by the den still; refusing food as he waited with worry, watched the shadows carefully and strained to hear or scent six _healthy_ pups. With omegas having litters it meant a higher chance of stillborns or pups that didn’t make it passed a few hours of life. But as time dragged Jensen didn’t appear with a tiny body in his mouth. His instincts would have made him move the dead pup from the healthy ones. None of the pups were stillborn and none of them died, six pups whimpered and as the day passed into the next six pups still cried.

 

Almost a day and half since he went in, Jensen popped out of his den and tiny demands for him to return followed. Jensen seemed torn about returning pausing half way back into the den but eventually he stayed outside and sought food once he relieved himself.

Immediately all the food on hand, any the pack was snaking on or had near by, was offered for him to pick and choose from. With his mate was eating, Jared sniffed him over and made sure there was no excessive bleeding or anything of the sort. The doctor came by to check but Jared drove him off before he could reign in his instincts. Panting, he paced around Jensen and kept the pack from getting to close to him or the den. The obeyed and remained a good three feet away, content to watch their omega-alpha eat and then share his meal with Jared who hadn’t eaten either.

The pack squabbled a bit about who would get to make the next meal, everyone agreeing something more substance was needed as hunters took off to find a deer or some rabbits, Jensen was fond of rabbit. Jared watched his mama insisted she should while others rushed to complain they should have the right to help. In the end someone came up with the idea of a lottery, names pulled for each meal; breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Jared watched it all amused as he wolfed down a sandwich and turned his attention to scenting Jensen more thoroughly. From smelling him, Jared knew Jensen had six pups, four omegas and two alphas; it was too soon for their scents to carry their genders though. Jared didn’t know much about how the omega gene passed but he knew four omegas was a lot, the norm was one or two. It was reason enough to celebrate even more than just a healthy litter and Jared spend his time snuggling Jensen happily, bugging him until the other wolf snapped at him finally, just wanting to eat in peace.

Jared obediently gave him space and trotted over to the mouth of the den, calling to his pups and feeling his heart burst with joy when they called back inquisitive and wanting their mama. As soon as the last bite was gone Jensen was back in the den, giving Jared a quick lick as he passed him.

 

“We’re packing up already, you should come help,” his own mama told him a few days later and Jared whined at her, looking at the den. With the scare of the abduction and fears that other wolves might come looking for Jensen and his children two of the stronger hunters stayed near the tree at all times, changing out periodically. It was taken seriously, both wolves alert and keeping an eye on everything that was going on.

“They’ll be fine, half the pack is always here and there’s food on standby if Jensen comes out looking, you should be preparing your home for your family, setting up the bedroom at least for Jensen so he won’t have to,” she chided him. Anyone else would have failed but she successfully lured him via motherly guilt from the den and down the street to where his house was being packed up. With six pups it was clear the house would be too small so his parents were switching, they’d planned on it for awhile now, waiting for one of their kids to need a bigger home.

Jared’s childhood home was a Victorian style house on the original street of the town, the first houses built and made with a lot room. Back in the day the pack would have shared large homes in the winter and stayed out in the forests in the summer. Now they still did to a degree but there were a lot more intermingling with humanity. So they held jobs that insured they functioned as a town and along side human society they came to all own their own private homes. Still, the house was huge and would fit a family of eight just fine, even more if Jared and Jensen decided to have another litter down the line.

The master bedroom had belonged to his parents all his life which felt weird at first but once their furniture was gone and his own was in there it looked different, less like the forbidden parents’ bedroom and more like his own. Maybe they would repaint it later on, but for now that would wait as it was prepped to become the home of newborn pups. Jared spent a few hours moving stuff around before he his worry ate at him too much and he jogged back to the den. Everyone was safe and Jensen even stuck his head out to let Jared see him. Every pack member was on guard, going about their lives happily but also aware. A reporter tried to sneak into the territory but he was caught just passed the border and dragged out eventually, shaken by a pack of very angry wolves who treed him for a day and half. Misha gave a press release and it went over easily, the man was unharmed after all. Still the pack caught him almost instantly, making Jared realize the patrols had been doubled and were taking it very seriously. Jeff and Danneel had both upped their own patrols, showing support for the new litter and Jensen’s safety. Jared supposed with four omega pups he’s have to accept some of his young would leave the pack when they came of age. But only to Jeff or Danneel’s packs nothing _too_ far. His father had laughed at him when he mentioned it, saying it was decades before that sort of thing would need to be worried about, which was true. The unease over having his grandson become his son’s mate had passed and he accepted it easily, eager for his new grandchildren to be presented so he could meet them. Likewise Jared’s siblings had come around and it took another weight off him to see his family would not suffer for the decision.

 

Each meal time Jared would return to the den and wait for Jensen to appear. They’d settle in as wolves and eat, usually pushed up tightly to one another sharing licks and tussling lightly. Jared missed his mate at night, he slept beside the den and knew Jensen was close but he wanted to feel Jensen against him again.

The pack by unspoken consensus gave the den a wide birth and never passed a certain distance to it. Jared was the only one who crossed that invisible line, sleeping directly over the entrance so no one could enter or leave with out him knowing. The clearing was spotted with wolves; most of the pack sleeping near by so if anything happened they’d be there.

On the fifth day after Jensen had given birth he emerged one afternoon and shifted for the first time. Jared loved his mate in either form but he was glad to see the human side of Jensen once more, he’d missed his son/mate’s expressive face. Some thoughtful soul had been leaving a basin of clean water and washcloths out and Jensen made use of them, dunking his head and washing himself down. He’d always been a tad prissy about cleanliness.

“Uggh, they just ate so go make sure they’re asleep,” he announced, stretching out in the grass under the sun with a look about him that declared he wasn’t moving as he sun bathed happily.

“I can’t fit in there,” Jared frowned, eyeing the den entrance, he’d already puzzled this one and he was sure his wolf wouldn’t fit in there at all.

“…Just don’t shift or try to fit all the way in,” Jensen said after giving Jared a long look and the older wolf felt silly right away for the obvious answer. It was so rare to mix the wolf and human sides that he forgot the two even could sometimes.

“…What if I hurt them by accident?”

“You carried me when I was hours old and torn in half, I think you can handle them, but don’t let them crawl all over you, more so Gavin, and Ava will wanna cuddle you.”

“Gavin? Ava?” Jared asked, feeling choked up over something as simple as names.

“Gavin’s the one who won’t sit still and Ava is the runt, I haven’t named the others, they just eat, poop and sleep.”

“Do I get a say?” Jared teased, rubbing Jensen’s back and hearing him sigh under the touch.

“Sure, name the rest.”

“…I always wanted to name a son Elijah, after the alpha before me. Nearly gave you that name.”

“Short tail can be Elijah, that’s three. You got an alpha and two more omega’s to name, one girl and five boys,” Jensen muttered into the grass stretching out more and arching his back into his hands. Jared moved over his son more so he could rub him down better, using both hands to try and work the kinks out of him, Jensen’s body was probably sore from being cramped up so much. But before he could really get into it soft cries came from the den and Jared turned his attention to it apprehensive and excited.

“Go on, they wanna meet you, got your stinky sweater down there, they know your scent and sound,” Jensen huffed, half asleep under the sunlight.

Jared carefully approached the den, hearing the cries grow more insistent when his children heard someone approach. He had no reason to feel nervous, he’d handled pups before, took care of Jensen all his childhood. Still, his hands shook a touch as he knelt at the entrance and eased a hand into the shadows of the den. He felt his sweater first, warmed by Jensen’s body heat still. A curious whine sounded just before a wet nose gently bumped his fingertip, sucking at it after a sniff. Jared’s heart melted as he lay in the grass, his hand resting among his pups as he carefully scooped one up and lifted him to the den entrance. The tree offered a lot of shade but Jared didn’t want to damage his pup’s developing eyes, they hadn’t opened yet and needed low light or darkness. He used his own body to shadow the mouth of the den. He curled up with his pup pressed against his palm, a little bigger then his hand, bigger than what Jensen had been.

“Hey there buddy, you the curious one?”

“Gavin,” Jensen said from where he laid and the pup made a sound, wobbling on legs he didn’t know how to use yet as he sniffed for Jensen’s scent and whined.

“Gavin,” Jared echoed, rubbing his thumb over the tiny head and watched his pup curl into the warmth of his hand and then decide to in settle to sleep. Pups this young didn’t do much more than sleep and nurse really and Jared just smiled down at him for awhile before he gently set the pup back into the den, feeling the warmth of the other pups piled together and sleeping. Very gently Jared took each pup from the pile and held them close, examining each of his children. They were all balls of black fluff, it would be awhile before their colors came in but Jared knew they’d be perfect, whether they took his greys or Jensen’s browns. Jared committed each unique scent of each of his puppies to memory and they all in turn sniffed at him, scenting him without fear since his smell was in the den already. Way before Jared was ready Jensen shifted and drifted back to the den, giving him a lick on the cheek before taking the pup he was holding and slipping back into the den. Jared didn’t press it, knowing it was hard for a new mother to let his pups be out of the safety of the den.

 

The excitement of seeing his pups for the first time transferred into manic energy and he had half the house unpacked before it faded. The spare rooms were made into playrooms; the pups would sleep with them for a few years yet. The pack had given them plenty of gifts to fill the rooms. Jared kept one as a study since he’d be working from home for a long while with infants to look after. The basement had been mainly a storage area but Misha and Vicki had transformed it into a suite, a bed and all.

“For when you want some mates time, because you’ll find sexing your mate up in the same bed you share with your pups will feel wrong,” Misha teased cheekily. “Or maybe not, you did mate your own pup,” he added with a wicked grin.

The house was pup proofed, everything off the floor and nothing heavy anywhere it could fall, all cupboards with child safety locks, the works.

“Don’t get too attached to your furniture,” his mama advised. “Remember when Jensen was teething? Imagine that six times over,” she chuckled and Jared grinned. Jensen had chewed on anything and everything he could fit in his mouth at that age and with six pups he imagined the warning was a sound one. The legs of everything wood and the soft fabrics would all meet a soggy death.

The pack was all keen on seeing the pups for the first time, after their eyes had opened and adjusted they would start venturing from the den and once he felt secure enough Jensen would move them, leaving the den for the house. Only then could anyone outside Jensen and Jared get close to the puppies. The pack would switch out as babysitters, socialize the children and impart their own wisdom on them traditionally. Jared figured they’d be lifesavers when he had six energetic pups scampering everywhere. He’d read the books about what to expect with a litter, sleep and relaxation was not on that list.

 

By the second week it was clear the time was coming for the pups to be moved.

Jared had settled in over the den entrance for the night, laid out his side and half asleep before he felt something poking him. It stopped briefly and then a light weight jumped on his side, his pup trying to climb Jared’s bulk. Tail wagging he gave the pup a sniff and wasn’t surprised Gavin was trying to make a great escape. With a few licks Jared pushed him back in the den, Jensen sternly calling the pup back to bed.

It became a nightly ritual, Gavin trying to scale Jared and make it beyond his father. On one late night when Jensen slept through the escape and wasn’t calling Gavin back in right away Jared let the pup linger outside. It was warm and the moon was full, letting Jared watch as Gavin climbed over him and then over his paws, not looking to escape it seemed so much as explore. The pup’s tail wagged as he figured out walking, tumbling cutely as he gummed at Jared’s fur and climbed over him. The sounds of his huffs and little mock growls called a second pup out. Mikha was halfway over Jared’s back when Jensen’s head popped from the den and picked the pup up. A moment later he reappeared and climbed over Jared unkindly to grab Gavin. Jensen stomped on Jared as he slipped back in, a firm reprimand for letting them play when they should have been sleeping. 

Gavin was constantly escaping, getting to the den entrance where Jared would nudge him right back in. Jared stopped leaving the den, too worried the pup would escape and come to harm. But the house was all moved and settled in, so he had nothing to do really. The position of alpha was being dealt with by the elders and Misha, on occasion Jared helped out but for now he gave his attention to his new family, it was customary for him to have a few months off with his children’s birth.

Noah, Isaac and Mikha were the last three names Jared settled on, Jensen perfectly fine with them although to be fair he was kind of out of it, exhausted even though all he did was curl up in the den all day and night. Jared wisely kept the observation to himself though and thus got to name his four sons. It was rare for a pup to be given a namesake, doing so was a sign of the utmost respect or a life debt. Jared had always given his respect to the previous alpha and naming a pup after him only underlined it. Giving one of his children a name as close to Misha as Mikha was came as a surprise to the pack but Jensen understood. Jared had told him how vital Misha had been when he’d been taken, that although the wolf was all jokes about it, Jared felt a debt to him that he would never be able to repay. The namesake let the pack know that, it promised the other wolf that if he ever needed anything he could ask it of Jared’s family and it would be given

Jared had taken to sleeping half way down the den, plugging the entrance from escape attempts and playing with Gavin and Mikha in the night when they were too energetic to sleep. Jensen grumbled but allowed it and the rest of the pups slept soundly with their mama.

During the day Jared stuck his front in the den and the filtered sunlight let him watch his pups. It was just too funny that Mikha was the goofy one of the litter like his namesake. He was always rolling on his back and wiggling around with his back legs kicking. It was hilarious to watch and it confused his siblings, none of them understand why this was such fun. Mikha liked doing it though and Jared felt it was half just for his sibling’s reaction. 

Jensen was sort of forlorn when the pups opened their eyes. Jared could see he wanted to keep them in the den longer, wanted to have them all to himself mainly and he soft of agreed, he liked keeping them between just them. But to his credit Jensen didn’t drag his paws. On a cloudy day when the light wasn’t too strong and the temperature was perfect, Jensen left the den and didn’t go back in.

Jared ate lunch with him, noting that Jensen didn’t shift into his human form. The pup’s cries started up and Gavin poked his head out, looking to make Jensen hurry over and shoo him back in but when Jensen didn’t Jared understood.

“They’ll do fine,” he promised Jensen, kissing his muzzle before stripping and shifting to a wolf. Gavin watched this and then called to Jared, expect him to come over and it was a near thing. But this was part of being a werewolf, the pups had to leave then den on their own. A symbol they were ready to face the world.

For all his escape plans, Gavin got cold paws and disappeared back into the den. The pups called for Jensen and he called back, telling them to come to him for the first time. Little heads poked out but none of the pups left the shadows of the den.

Jared had his bets on Gavin but it was surprisingly Ava, the only girl, who came out first. She was the litter’s runt but also an alpha so maybe Jared shouldn’t have been astonished when her little head poked out of the den and peered around, blinking as she took in the world outside. Jared’s tail thumped with Jensen’s and they both whined in calling as she set her sights on them. He watched his daughter seem to square herself and then with a stumble, she rolled out of the den, tripping all over the place as she waddled towards them determinedly. Halfway to them she seemed to realize there were a lot of other wolves watching, gathering quickly as word spread. Ava looked back at the den and her siblings watching but didn’t turn back, she made her way right over to Jensen and immediately buried herself in his plush fur, with a happy little huff.

Jensen bathed her happily, showering her in affection as incentive for her siblings to follow. Jared gave her a nuzzle and she happily yapped at him, putting both her paws on his muzzle and trying to climb right onto his head. Tail wagging, Jared lowered his head to the ground so Ava could climb all over him. Her own little tail wagged when she flopped down his neck and shoulder blade, landing in the space between where Jared and Jensen were pressed together. She gave the all clear to her siblings and then started on climbing Jensen, her mother seemingly accepting his new position as jungle gym.

Mikha was next, he had a root in his mouth and couldn’t walk a straight line to save himself. In the distance jokes went up and Jared could see Misha watching, a fond look on his face as others teased him. Vicki and West were with him as they got their first look at the pup named after him. A dandelion took Mikha’s attention for a bit, the crowd not bothering him at all as he batted at the weed and then lost his balance, toppled over by a plant. While he was on his back he decided to do his thing and the pack laughed, watching him do what Jared had been explaining to anyone who would listen with glee. The noise did manage to startle him and Mikha finally waddled over to his parents, flopping over onto Jared’s forepaw and them abruptly taking a nap.

Gavin seeming perfectly fine to bumble around and examine his paws like they were new discoveries until he remembered he was surrounded by a whole lot of wolves not far off, then he rushed to hide in Jensen’s fur. Noah ran back to the den three times before he made it, shaking as he huddled in his mother’s warmth and reassurance. Elijah lingered for a time, looking to his parents and then back to Isaac, torn between going to his family and not leaving his meeker brother alone. In the end a stern growl from Jensen had the pup coming over to them, more focused on calling his lone sibling to come after him then worrying about the eyes on him.

Isaac came out only once, he crawled on his belly and shook with fear, wanting to be with his family but terrified of being outside the den. Just passed the half way mark he gave up, curling up and crying fearfully. It worked Jared up, Ava and Mikha both ran to their sibling, crawling on him and trying to sooth him but his shaking continued. Jensen growled at Jared when he got up but he couldn’t help it, going over and giving Isaac a few licks before scooting him with his nose. The presence of his father gave him strength and he slowly made his way over to his mother, his siblings running around him and yapping at him in encouragement. It was over-coddling for Jared to help him and Jensen wasn’t pleased but he couldn’t help it.

 

Once they were all there the pack took turns meeting them, sniffing at them to learn their scents and let the pups know there own. Ava and Isaac cried through it, hiding against Jensen until he made them move out into the open to greet properly. Then they snuggled up to Jared and he didn’t have the heart to push them out, letting them butt up close to his chest between his paws and shiver against him as he comforted them.

“I can see who will be the law and the push over,” someone teased and Jared didn’t bother to deny it, Jensen had been an utterly spoiled pup after all. “Jensen was always the one keeping the kids in line at lunch, he’s had practice at taking care of a group of pups,” someone else commented and Jensen nodded serenely. Jared wondered if that wasn’t the truth, if Jensen had always agreed to look after the kids for experience he could use on his own. Either way he was going to be a wonderful mother; the right balance of affection and sternness that reminded Jared of his own mama.

Once the meeting ceremony was done the pups were taken to their new home.

Although he knew he shouldn’t Jared ended up carrying Isaac when he froze up, the pup was too scared to move. At first he just nudge him along but Isaac shook so bad that Jared took pity and carried him in his mouth. The rest of the pups trotted along, the house was barely a block away and the pack was all there watching as they were moved. Gavin kept trying to wander off and flowers entranced Mikha but they made their way eventually. Ava showed shyness by walking directly under Jared, Jensen had done the same thing as a pup so he had experience with it and didn’t trip up like Jensen did when she tried it with him. Noah and Elijah looked around but stayed close to Jared, Jensen having to chase after Gavin and Mikha too much to provide a pace they could keep up with.

 

The master bedroom was on the main floor and they corralled them pups into it, already they were a handful and they could barely walk, Jared was a little nervous about when they really got going. They got them all onto the bed though, Jensen lying down to nurse keeping them there. Jared shifted and laid out beside them, the pups needed to get used to both forms of their parents.

For the time being the queen sized mattress was on the floor without a bedspring, keeping the drop to the floor short in case the puppies wandered while their parents were sleeping. The entire room was puppy proofed, not a single dangerous thing in reach, the room fairly sparse for now, which was a little over kill but Jared didn’t care. He lay across the bed and watched his children nurse happily until they were full, burping and dozing off.

Ava and Isaac both crawled closer to Jared, snuggling up to him as they went to sleep.

"How can wrinkles butts be so cute?" He mused with a smile.  

“You can’t baby them too much,” Jensen announced after they were all sleeping and he could shift without cutting off a mealtime. Jared had two of his pups against him, Ava even suckling his fingertip in her sleep just like Jensen used too.

“I spoiled the hell out of you and look how you came out?”

“Mated to my own father.”

“Point. But I have a mate and there’s a whole litter, I wont get too attached to just one of them,” Jared shot back, voice soft as he pups slept on, Jensen scoffed but let it go for now.

“So any worries about not loving them enough anymore?” Jared asked quietly, reaching out to stroke Jensen’s hair lightly, the omega could use a bath but Jared knew better then to point it out. Jensen was a new mother and he’d spent weeks in a dirt den taking care of Jared’s offspring, if he wasn’t spring fresh Jared didn’t care in the least.

“I’ll never know how she could do it,” Jensen replied, his smile fading as he carefully touched one of the pups, idly petting down Isaac’s back. “If I had to pick, I’d choose them before myself. I know that utterly, I’d die for them, I could never-”

Jensen stopped himself, tears shining but not falling.

“She was a monster. You might look like her but your not her, not at your core. Not a single tiny bit,” Jared told his son/mate and Jensen nodded, his eye reflecting finally that he believed it.

“I mated your mother hoping for this, a mate I could love and a family,” he confessed, watching Jensen watching their children. “When I mated her I asked the mother Luna for that only. It’s not anything like I expected, but it’s exactly what I asked for.”

“Down to the wrinkled butts?” Jensen asked with a soft chuckle and Jared grinned nodding as he lay on his side, Jensen mirroring him on the other side of the bed their knees touching and Jared’s hand in Jensen’s hair, their pups safe between them.


End file.
